Forget Yesterday
by MadiWillow
Summary: The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together. COMPLETE. TxG CxS
1. Sunrise, Sunset

**AN:** OMG. After two and a half months of hard work, I am finally posting this story. I haven't actually finished writing it all yet, but I've written 30 out of 40 chapters so I think there's a good chance that I will not be abandoning it. It's taken me a while to get here, and I'm pretty excited to finally post it. I actually started the very first draft of this story... oh gosh, I don't even know. I think before the summer. But I didn't like it, and then I decided to wait and rewrite it until after HSM 2 premiered, and I officially started writing this right after I saw it. So... yeah. Anyway, if I do say so myself, I like this story a lot and I'm really proud of it. I really hope everyone likes it too. Also, all chapter titles will come from songs in musicals.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Fiddler on the Roof_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Sunrise, Sunset_

"Thank GOD we don't have to work there anymore."

Troy Bolton and his three best friends, Chad Danforth, Jason Cross, and Zeke Baylor all walked into Troy's den at the back of his house and collapsed onto various couches and chairs.

"I thought I was going to throw up if I had to serve Sharpay one more time," Chad continued.

"It wasn't that bad!" reasoned Zeke.

Chad glared at him. "Maybe for you. You were cooking the whole time. _And_ you're going out with Sharpay now, so even if you had to wait on her, she probably wouldn't have berated you if you slipped up and accidently forgot to say 'Miss Evans.'"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," smirked Zeke. Chad threw his server's uniform at him.

"I still can't believe you're going out with her," said Chad, disgusted. "I mean, really. Do you enjoy dating the devil?"

Before Zeke could answer, their attention was averted to the back door of the den, which led into the backyard, opening. In walked Gabriella, Taylor, Sharpay, and Ryan.

"Oh, look, the girls are here," chided Chad.

"Ha-ha," said Ryan, sitting down in the one of the abandoned chairs.

"Zekey," pouted Sharpay, crossing the distance between the two of them in a matter of seconds and placing herself firmly on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and asked, "Why don't you come back to work?"

"I'd rather stick a lead pipe through my head," Chad spoke up.

Sharpay glared at him. "I wasn't talking to you," she snapped, before grabbing Zeke's head and beginning to furiously make out with him.

"Hey," Chad winked at Taylor as she sat on the arm of the couch next to him.

Taylor smirked at him. "Hey yourself."

Gabriella walked over to where Troy was sitting and he pulled her into his lap. She had yet to change out of her lifeguard uniform. "Who else is so glad to be away from Mr. Fulton?" she sighed.

Troy tightened his grip around her waist. "Now we can sneak swims in the pool at night without getting in trouble." Gabriella giggled.

Sharpay pulled away from Zeke and narrowed her eyes. "I swear to God, between you two --" she pointed at Taylor and Chad, "-- and you two --" she motioned to Troy and Gabriella, "-- I'm about ready to throw up."

"You're one to talk," said Taylor. "Look at you, all over Zeke. Why don't you get a room so we don't have to see you doing it."

"Whaddya say?" Zeke winked at Sharpay, who slapped him on the shoulder.

"Zeke, no!" she laughed playfully.

"Sharpay, why are you even here?" asked Chad irritably. "This is Troy's house. Isn't he, like, the bad guy who broke your heart?"

"Troy Bolton did not break my heart," answered Sharpay, as if Troy wasn't even in the room. "Actually, if Troy hadn't rejected me, I never would've realized how much I liked Zeke. And besides, Zeke invited me to hang out here."

"You should've consulted us first, man," said Chad, annoyed.

Zeke rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Like _that's_ even been an issue before."

"It hasn't. But Satan has never been in our midst, either."

"Ugh." Sharpay stood up, angrily. "Come on, Zeke, let's go back to my place to have a little privacy." She sneered at Chad as she grabbed Zeke's hand and dragged him out the door with her.

"Thanks, man," sighed Jason.

Before Chad could answer, Troy's mother poked her head into the den. "Oh, hello everyone!" she chirped pleasantly.

"Hello, Mrs. Bolton," everyone chorused, except Troy, who threw in a "Hey Mom."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Becca?" Mrs. Bolton laughed loudly. "Troy, have you seen your father?"

"No, I just got home, Mom."

Becca frowned. "Oh." She paused, waiting for someone to question her, but continued as if someone had anyway. "Well, it's just, he told me he wanted corn for dinner, but your father doesn't like corn, he only likes corn on the cob. So I don't know if, when he said corn, he meant corn on the cob, or if he's tried corn somewhere else and decided he likes it. We don't have any corn on the cob, just corn, and I can't get a hold of your father on his cell, so I'm not sure if I should just cook the corn, or go to the store and buy corn on the cob just in case --"

"Okay, Mom," said Troy over her. "If I hear from him, I'll let you know."

"Thanks, sweetie," she beamed, backing out of the room and closing the door behind her.

Ryan, who had never met Troy's mother before, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Your mom seems, um, nice."

"I know, she talks a lot," said Troy, "You don't have to pretend not to notice it." He looked up Gabriella. "You wanna stay for dinner?"

She smiled. "Sure!" She stood up and ran a hand through her hair. "I need to shower and change though. I'm covered in chlorine." She made a face. "Coming, Taylor?"

"Sure." Taylor slid off the couch and walked towards her friend, smiling at Chad.

"See ya later?" said Chad, grinning, and she nodded back. "Bye Gabriella." He paused, before adding, "Ella, ella, hey, hey, hey."

Gabriella rolled her eyes at him. "Please stop that." Gabriella and Taylor exited from the den, and the only people left were Troy, Jason, Ryan, and Chad.

"So Ryan, whaddya think of my house?" asked Troy, gesturing around.

The den they were sitting in was nice, if not a little disheveled. It was clear that this room was mainly Troy's – he had a pool table in the corner, with a few dents in the felt, and next to that was a large stereo. There was also a fully stocked wet bar and an open door that led to a small bathroom. There was a large couch and two arm chairs, surrounding an average-sized television, complete with X-Box and Playstation 2. Also, hanging from the walls were various posters, depicting music bands and groups with everyone from Nickelback to 50 Cent, and mixed in were bikini pin-ups of Jessica Alba and Tyra Banks.

"I'm liking it so far," commented Ryan, nodding approvingly.

"Yeah, we usually spend a lot of time in here," affirmed Chad, switching on the TV. "Well, when we're not playing basketball."

"Of course."

About a half hour later, while the boys were all engrossed in an episode of Law & Order, the doorbell sounded from the front of the house. None of the boys even moved until Becca called, "Troy, can you get the door?"

"No!"

"GET THE DAMN DOOR!"

Ryan jumped and his eyebrows shot up. Troy simply rolled his eyes and stood up, shuffling towards the door that led to the main hallway. Chad, Jason, and Ryan got up to follow him, with Chad explaining, "Yeah, Becca yells loudly too."

Troy led the boys through the hallway of his home and reached the front door. The other three guys went off to the connecting kitchen, where Becca was preparing dinner.

"Oh, Mom, can Gabriella come for dinner?" called Troy, his hand on the door knob.

"Sure, sweetie."

"Mm, smells good, Mrs. Bolton," said Jason. "What're you making?"

"Oh, just a pork roast with mashed potatoes," she said, wiping her hands on her "Best Mom" apron. "And corn, because I hope Jack didn't mean corn on the cob when he told me what he wanted for dinner. I just didn't want to go to the store – I mean, I would've, if Jack told me he wanted corn on the cob – but since I wasn't sure – I didn't want to go for no reason --"

"Sure, Becca," said Chad distractedly, taking a cookie from a platter on the counter.

Troy had listened to his mother rambling and shook his head whilst pulling the door open. As his eyes laid upon the visitor, his mouth dropped open.

"Grandma Lila?"

An incredibly tiny and frail old woman was standing on his front porch. She was very skinny and short, but had big, gray hair about the size of a basketball. She looked as if she'd come straight from the eighties, clad in blue leggings, white tube socks and tennis shoes, and a yellow sequined sweater despite the eighty-degree heat. She had round, thick glasses, many different necklaces that clanked in the wind, and two large suitcases at her feet.

"Oh, my little Troy!" she said, her voice quivering, as she reached up and pinched his cheeks. "Oh, you're getting so tall! How old are you now? Twelve?"

"Seventeen, Grandma."

"Stop lyin'," she wheezed, whipping out a cigarette and using a neon green lighter to ignite it. She sucked in deeply and exhaled, right into Troy's face. "Aren't you going to let a little old lady in?"

Getting over his shock, Troy said hurriedly, "Oh, yeah. Come on." He picked up her moss green suitcases and led her inside. Closing the door behind him, he said, "Uh Mom. Grandma's here."

"Funny, honey."

"No, seriously."

There was a clang of metal, as if his mother had dropped a pot, and a moment later she appeared in the hallway. "_Ma_?" she sputtered, shocked. "W-what are you --"

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Lila asked, her thick New York accent audible. She instinctively touched a hand to her hair and patted it. She took another drag from her cigarette and blew up at the ceiling this time. She caught sight of Chad, Jason, and Ryan staring at her, and hobbled slowly over to them. "Oh, you look like good little boys." Her cigarette dangling in her mouth, she reached into her purse and took out her wallet. "Here, have a nickel."

She handed five cents to each of them, and they all exchanged peculiar glances before chorusing, "Thanks, Mrs. --" but they all stopped.

"-- Schaeffer," she finished. She inhaled from her cigarette.

"Ma, please don't smoke in here," sighed Becca, still looking flustered. "But really, why are you here?"

"Wait, you didn't invite her?" asked Troy urgently, staring at his mom.

"Of course not!" she hissed back.

"I'm here to move in, of course!" said Lila, as if it were the most obvious explanation in the world.

The room fell silent, except for the bubbling of boiling water and the sound of Chad, Ryan, and Jason eating cookies, watching the events unfolding in front of them interestedly.

Suddenly, Becca started laughing.

"Wow, Ma, good one!" she laughed, and Troy soon joined in, followed by Chad, Ryan, and Jason.

Lila looked around, blinking slowly from behind her inch-thick glasses. "What's so funny?" she accused them. Chad, Ryan, Jason, and Troy immediately shut up, but Becca continued giggling.

"You can't be moving in here!" she chuckled. "Well, I mean, it'd be _possible_ of course, it's not like there's any type of law keeping you from it. But," she continued, "you don't want to live here. What about Florida?"

"Those hacks?" sputtered Lila angrily. Ash was building on the tip of her cigarette, and she started waving it around haphazardly. "I still can't believe you would send your dear old mother to an assistant living home. After I pushed you out in a twenty-five hour labor!"

"Ma --"

"I schlepped you around all over Queens, walking you to the bus stop and back every day from school because your father wouldn't let me drive. Every other mother made their daughters walk themselves, but no, I walked with you, gave you my coat when you were cold. And this is how you repay me?"

Becca sighed. "Ma, that was _me_ who gave you my coat when _you_ were cold. And you didn't walk me to the bus stop, that was when I had to go with you to get the mail. And Daddy didn't let you drive because you totaled two cars in five months." She shook her head. "But anyway, you don't want to live here."

"Of course I do!" Lila waved her arms in emphasis, and the ash looked dangerously close to falling off. Chad, Jason, Ryan, and Troy started watching its movement, more interested in when it would fall than the conversation at hand. "Even though you ditched your religion when you moved out and married that gentile --"

"A what?" asked Ryan curiously.

"Non-Jew," Lila informed him. Becca rolled her eyes.

"Ma, you know that Jack isn't going to be happy about this."

Lila waved her hand, the ash collecting considerably. "I don't care about that schmuck." She glanced at her cigarette and noticed the long collection of ash. "Oy." She walked over to one of the boiling pots, opened the top, and flicked the ash inside.

"Ma! That's our dinner!" cried Becca, darting forward.

"Dinner?" repeated Lila, sniffing the air. "Oh, that's what's burning."

Troy nearly cried in relief when he heard a familiar voice calling his name in the den.

"Be right back!" he said instantly, running out of the kitchen, but not before his mother grabbed his arm.

"You _better_ be coming right back," she growled, and he nodded. Leaving his friends behind, he nearly ran through the hall and burst into the den.

Gabriella and Taylor were in there, their hair freshly styled and clothes changed. "Where's Chad?" asked Taylor.

"In there," Troy pointed, and Taylor side-stepped him to get into the kitchen. As she walked away, Troy grabbed Gabriella's hands. "I want you to meet someone."

Gabriella quirked an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah." Troy took a deep breath. "And don't take anything she says personally."

Looking thoroughly confused, Gabriella said "Troy, what --" but before she could finish her sentence, Troy dragged her into the kitchen.

Taylor was standing next to Chad, watching Lila with raised eyebrows. Lila was currently stirring the pot she had just flicked her cigarette ashes into with a pair of tongs. "Rebecca, you should really take the meat out of the oven," she suggested, holding her cigarette in her other hand.

Becca glared at her mother. "Well you just ruined half of our dinner." She paused. "Okay, not half, because we still have the corn, and the bread, and the actual roast, but --"

"Gabriella!" cried Chad in greeting. "ella, ella."

Lila looked over at the new arrivals and saw Gabriella, clutching Troy's hands. She tossed the rest of her cigarette into the boiling pot – Becca frowned – and wobbled over to Gabriella. "Who are you?" she asked rudely.

Gabriella glanced fearfully at Troy and said, "I'm Gabriella Montez. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand, but Lila simply narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you holding my baby grandson's hand?"

Troy put his arm around Gabriella and pulled her close to him. "Gabriella's my girlfriend, Grandma." Gabriella attempted to smile.

Lila gasped. "But Troy, you're only eleven!"

"Seventeen," repeated Troy, but his grandmother was no longer listening.

She turned to Becca, who was attempting to salvage the rest of their dinner, and cried in indignation, "You're letting your little boy date already? What kind of mother are you?"

Becca glared. "Ma, Troy's seventeen. He's not a baby anymore." She glanced lovingly at Troy. "Although I still think of him as one."

"Yeah, I do too," agreed Chad, with Jason and Ryan nodding along with him. Troy sighed.

"How long until dinner?" snapped Lila to Becca.

"Twenty minutes," she responded. "Although the meal will be significantly smaller without our potatoes..."

"Who cares about potatoes," stated Lila, waving her hand. "What are you cooking, by the way?" she asked, motioning toward the oven.

"Pork roast."

Lila froze, staring at her daughter. She lifted her hand and pointed a shaking finger at the oven. "You're cooking a p-pork roast?"

Becca's face suddenly whitened, and her mouth dropped. "Uh – um, Ma, I – I --"

Troy glanced at Taylor, Chad, Jason, and Ryan. "You guys might wanna leave now," he advised.

They didn't need telling twice. The four of them scrambled past Troy and Gabriella toward the front door, and Ryan muttered, "What's going on?" as he passed.

"Pork isn't Kosher," Troy supplied, and after a few seconds, the sound of the door closing signified their leave. Troy glanced at Gabriella, who was watching Lila nervously.

She leaned over and muttered, in an accusatory tone, "You didn't tell me your grandmother would be here."

"Aw, not enjoying her enchanting personality?"

"Oy! My own daughter, serving her mother pig!" Lila cried dramatically. "That is traif, you know that, Rebecca!" She lit another cigarette and took a long drag, blowing it directly in her daughter's face. "I don't mind what you do when I'm not around, Rebecca, but how could you even think to serve traif when I'm here?" She shook her head.

Becca stared at her mother. "Ma, you showed up unannounced!"

"I called!" snapped Lila in defense.

Taken aback, Becca blinked in surprise. "You did?" She looked around at Troy, who shrugged.

"Yeah. Jack was talking over me the whole time though," she said darkly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I called," she began with her thick New York accent, "and Jack answered. I was trying to tell him that I was going to move out here, but he just kept talking over me. I could barely get a word in!" she exclaimed.

Becca stared incredulously at her mother. "Ma, that was the _answering machine_."

"The what?"

The front door opened and Jack's voice boomed throughout the house as he entered. "Sorry, Bec, I was called in for a staff meeting at the school, and --"

He stopped dead as he walked into the kitchen, staring at his mother-in-law. His shocked expression darted back and forth from Becca, standing near the stove, to Lila, in the middle of the kitchen, to Troy and Gabriella, next to him, and to Lila again. He gaped at her, seemingly at a loss for words.

Finally, Lila scolded, "Is that any way to greet your mother-in-law?"

Jack snapped out of his reverie and walked awkwardly over to Lila. He was about twice her size, but he still looked uncomfortable as he bent down to kiss her cheek.

"Ouch!" yelped Lila, clutching the side of her face. "Be a little more gentle!"

Jack glanced helplessly at his wife. "So, Lila," he started nervously. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you on the phone!"

Jack furrowed his brow. "I never talked to you on the phone."

"I already told you, Ma, that was the answering machine," explained Becca again. Before another word could be said, she exclaimed, "How about we sit on down for dinner?"

* * *

"Hey man, how'd dinner go?" said Chad by way of greeting as he entered the den with Jason, Zeke, Sharpay, Ryan, and Taylor in tow later that night. Troy and Gabriella were cuddled on the couch, his arm around her shoulders, and watching Family Guy. The rest of their friends took seats around them and leaned forward interestedly. 

Troy groaned. "It was --"

"-- horrible," Gabriella interrupted.

Nodding, Troy agreed, "Best word."

Chad snickered. "Give us the details, man."

"Well, my mom tried to delay telling my dad that my grandma had come to stay," he started, "but my dad was really impatient. He kinda hates my grandma so after about two minutes he was, like, _demanding_ to know what was going on."

"And when Mrs. Bolton told him, he got really pissed. You could tell by his face," Gabriella continued. "It was the same look he had when you two got detention and missed basketball practice." She motioned to her boyfriend and Chad.

"So then he asked to talk to my mom in private, but it wasn't so much private because we could hear him yelling," said Troy, rolling his eyes. "He was saying that my grandma can't live here, and blah, blah, blah, and my mom said that they couldn't just kick her out. They pretty much just repeated those words for about ten minutes. But luckily, my grandma has faulty hearing so she didn't know what they were talking about."

"Yeah, she was kept occupied by trying to get me to eat because she thought I was too skinny." Gabriella rolled her eyes. "But then when I was eating, she said I --" She paused, glancing at Troy. "What was it, again?"

"She said you 'fress.'"

"Which means?"

"Eat like an animal."

Everyone in the room laughed, and Gabriella pouted. "That's when we came in here. Where we've been for the past hour."

Jason, who was sitting next to them, asked tentatively, "You guys didn't do it on here, did you?"

Troy stared at Jason. "Yes," he said in a monotone voice.

Jason jumped up and moved to sit on the ground instead.

There was a knock on the door. "Troy? Are you in there?"

Troy's eyes widened at the sound of his grandmother's voice. "Don't. Say. Anything," he whispered to everyone.

"Come in, Grandma!" called Sharpay anyway.

Everyone glared at her. "What the hell?" snapped Troy as the door opened.

"I'm sure she's not _that_ bad," said Sharpay. Lila stepped into the den and looked around.

"What a hegdesch!" she said loudly. "Why don't your parents ever clean this place, Troy?"

Troy shrugged, and Lila caught notice of his friends. She glanced around at each and every one of them, scrutinizing each face for a few seconds before moving on. She looked at Sharpay and stated bluntly, "I don't know you."

Sharpay smiled graciously and stood up. "I'm Sharpay Evans."

"What a schnozzle you have!" cried Lila suddenly, striding over to her.

Troy snorted and turned his head to hide it in the crook of his arm. Sharpay glanced, perplexed, at Troy and then back at Lila, who was looking her up and down.

"You're a beautiful girl," she said approvingly, and Sharpay beamed. "Not too fat, not too skinny." She looked over her shoulder at Gabriella. "Unlike this one over here," she said quietly, unaware that everyone could hear her. "You should've seen her, stuffing food in her mouth like it was the end of the world. Oy!"

Gabriella glared at Lila's back.

"You know, I think you and my grandson would be perfect for each other!" Lila said excitedly.

Sharpay laughed. "Been down that road." Chad rolled his eyes.

"And Grandma, I have a girlfriend," said Troy. Lila looked back at him and Gabriella waved.

"Eh." Lila dismissed her and looked back at Sharpay. "Well, you would be so much better than that one." She sighed and dropped Sharpay's hands, walking out of the den and shutting the door behind her.

"Why doesn't she like me!?" Gabriella burst out angrily.

Sharpay smirked at her. "It's not hard to see why she would like me more, though, you have to admit."

"Troy, your grandmother is Jewish," stated Chad. "Why does she like Hitler so much?"

Glaring, Sharpay snapped, "Shut up." She plopped down on Zeke's lap, laying her head in his chest.

"Let's getta beer," suggested Chad, standing up and striding over to the bar.

"Oh, we can't," said Troy. "My dad did his monthly count of alcohol today, so we have about two weeks before he forgets what it was."

"Damnit."

"Ready to go, Gabriella?" asked Taylor from her position on the arm of Chad's chair.

"Sure." Gabriella planted a kiss on Troy's cheek before untangling herself from him and standing up, smoothing out her dress.

"Where are you going?" asked Troy.

"Oh, I'm sleeping over at Taylor's tonight," she explained.

Chad grinned. "Gonna have a sexy pillow fight?"

"You know it," said Gabriella. "That's what every girl does at a sleepover. Wear nothing but underwear and have pillow fights."

"That's hot," commented Jason.

Sharpay frowned. "You two are having a sleepover?"

Gabriella and Taylor nodded, and Sharpay pouted and looked down. Gabriella and Taylor glanced at each other. Taylor shook her head furiously and mouthed 'no!' repeatedly. Gabriella, however, sighed and said, "Do you wanna come, Sharpay?"

"Yay!" squealed Sharpay, jumping up and clapping her hands happily. "We're going to have to stop by my house first and get my stuff. On second thought," she added, "why don't we have the sleep over at my house? It's so much bigger, after all."

Taylor glared at her, and Sharpay got the hint.

"Fine! We'll go to your house." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "It'll be like camping."

Taylor shifted her glare to Gabriella, and she shrugged helplessly. The two led Sharpay out, who was listing all the different facial and hair treatments she could perform on the two others to make them really "glow." As the door closed, Chad remarked, "Somehow, my longing to crash the party has been diminished."

Ryan made a face. "Mine too."

Troy nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Sharpay may be a bitch, but she's still hot!" Jason reasoned. "You can't deny that."

"I can," said Ryan.

"Yeah, I've had enough Sharpay this year to last me a long time," Troy said. "I'll be fine just fantasizing about what Gabriella does during slumber parties instead."

"I have no interest in spying on the Devil reincarnated, no matter how attractive she may – or may not – be." Chad shuddered.

"Do you really wanna insult my girlfriend like that while I'm in the room?" asked Zeke threateningly, crossing his arms.

They all stared blankly at Zeke, who's angered expression slowly faded to a frown as he realized his threat was empty.

"So who wants to play some pool?"

* * *

**AN:** I figured I'd say this now – I _did_ base this story very loosely on _That's '70s Show_, mostly for them hanging out in Troy's den/Eric's basement on the show. Just in case anyone was wondering. So, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, and please review with your honest thoughts!

**UP NEXT:**

Troy, Gabriella, Taylor, and Chad go on a double date, and Sharpay and Zeke explore a new aspect of their relationship.


	2. I Want You Baby

**AN:** Thanks for the reviews everyone! I love receiving them as much as the next person, and it makes all the hard work I've put into this story (have I mentioned that at one point I had 25 pages of bonus info?) worth it. So, again, thanks. Also, I forgot to say this in the last chapter, but just so I can keep up with the times, we'll pretend that HSM 1 took place in January '07, and HSM 2 in, summer '07, so they're in the class of '08. Sound good?

The chapter title comes from the musical _Dreamgirls!_

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_I Want You Baby_

"Gabriella! Gabriella! Guess what!?" came a shriek from outside. Gabriella sat at her kitchen table, amused, as Taylor burst into her house through the front door and ran into the kitchen, skidding to a halt where Gabriella was sitting. She bent over and clutched the table for support, breathing heavily.

Gabriella grinned at her friend. "What is it?"

"Chad – h-he asked me o-out," panted Taylor, plopping down into the chair across from Gabriella.

"Oh, Taylor, that's great!" exclaimed Gabriella, beaming.

Taylor scoffed. "More like, it's about time." She shrugged. "But oh well. It finally happened!" she said giddily.

"I've never seen you like this before," commented Gabriella. "You're acting like a 'love-struck bimbo.' The same type you hate, might I add."

Taylor flushed. "Yeah, well."

"Here, let's celebrate," said Gabriella, striding over to her refrigerator and grabbing a pint of Moose Tracks ice cream. She brought it and two spoons over to the table, popping the lid off and scooping some out.

"Ice cream at eleven in the morning?" laughed Taylor, taking her own spoon.

Gabriella shrugged, her mouth full of ice cream. "It's hot."

The sat in silence for a few minutes, eating their ice cream. After a moment, Taylor said, "Chad's taking me out to Chili's tonight."

"Oh?" smiled Gabriella. "Are you excited?"

Taylor thought for a minute. "No, I'm terrified!" she cried suddenly.

Blinking in surprise, Gabriella asked, "Why?"

"Well, you know how I'm kind of, like, a picky eater?"

Smirking, Gabriella responded, "Uh, yeah."

"So..." Taylor nodded her head, urging Gabriella to take the hint.

"What, you're embarrassed about it?" asked Gabriella, and Taylor nodded again. "Oh, God, Taylor, you've been out to dinner with Chad before!" she exclaimed exasperatedly.

"But not just the two of us!" Taylor reminded her. "It's always with a big group. And he's never actually seen me order before. And whenever I get my food, I, like, disguise it."

Gabriella stared incredulously at her. "So what are you gonna do?" she asked. "Never go out to dinner one-on-one with Chad until you're, like, married?"

"No!" cried Taylor defensively. "I – well, can you and Troy come on a double date with us?"

"Taylor, you can't avoid your problems," said Gabriella.

"Thanks, Oprah," said Taylor dryly. "No, I just want you to be there so it's not as embarrassing."

"Oh, gimme a break," said Gabriella. "What, do you think that Chad is gonna stand up in the restaurant, yell at how weird you are, and storm out?"

Taylor narrowed her eyes. "No." Her expression softened as she pouted. "Please, Gabriella?" she begged. "Please, please, please, pleeeeeease?"

Gabriella sighed. "Fine. But I'll have to talk to Troy about it first."

"Oh, he'll say yes," said Taylor off-handedly. "You've got him whipped."

Before Gabriella could respond, their attention was brought to Gabriella's mother, Maria, bopping into the kitchen. She had a pair of earphones in her ears and Gabriella's video iPod in her hand. "I lean like a cholo," she sang, her eyes closed as she started leaning back. Gabriella watched her mom in horror while Taylor threw her head back and laughed.

Maria's eyes opened and she caught sight of the two girls. "Oh, hello Gabriella, Taylor," she said, smiling, and taking one of the ear buds from her ear. "How are you girls today?"

"Well, my day _was_ going good," said Gabriella, "until I saw you singing that song."

"Oh, but Gabi, it's okay for me to sing it!" said Maria excitedly. "Because I _am_ a cholo. Well, chola." She laughed.

Gabriella blinked at her mother. Maria didn't get the hint, and pressed play on the iPod. "I'm brown, I get down, the girls love how I lean..."

* * *

"Hey guys," greeted Taylor as she and Gabriella entered the den a few hours later. Troy, Chad, Ryan, and Jason were grouped around the pool table, leaning on their pool sticks and staring intently at the table. None of them answered.

Gabriella and Taylor walked up to them and watched in interest as Chad chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Eight ball in the left corner pocket." He placed the stick on the table, took about five minutes to line up his shot, and then hit the ball. It sunk into the aforementioned pocket, and he pumped his first triumphantly in the air.

"Alright, man!" cried Troy, and the two hugged each other the way guys do. Jason and Ryan put their sticks away, defeated.

"Aw, maybe next time," Chad mocked them, putting his own back.

Troy looked over and jumped at the sight of Gabriella and Taylor. "Hey, when'd you get here?" He walked over and pecked Gabriella on the mouth.

"Oh, sometime during your exhilarating pool game."

"Hey Chad, Gabriella thought it would be really fun if we went on a double date with her and Troy," announced Taylor, and Gabriella whipped around.

"I _what_!?"

"A double date?" repeated Chad.

"Wait, we're going out tonight?" frowned Troy.

Taylor said quietly, through clenched teeth, to Gabriella, "Please?"

Gabriella glared at her but sighed anyway. "Yeah, I thought it would be really fun. It was _all my idea_." She glanced at Chad. "But if you don't want to --" she said quickly.

"Oh, no, you want to, right Chad?" Taylor smiled at him, and he relented.

"Yeah, I guess that's good."

"Are you okay with it, Troy?" Gabriella asked, rounding on him. "Because if you're not, I'm totally cool with it. We don't have to go."

"But Troy _wants_ to go," Taylor cut in. "_Right_?" she snapped at him.

Troy looked fearfully back and forth between Gabriella and Taylor. "Am I missing something?"

"Just say you're going," demanded Taylor.

"But only if you really want to!" Gabriella reminded him.

Troy stuttered, "Um, o-okay?"

"Okay what?" asked Gabriella and Taylor at the same time.

"Okay, I'll go?"

Taylor beamed. "Then it's settled!" she said happily, clapping her hands together. Gabriella glared at Troy, who looked completely baffled. "Where're Sharpay and Zeke?" Taylor asked, glancing around.

"Shh!" hissed Chad. "Don't say her name. It might... summon her."

"I don't know," answered Ryan, ignoring Chad. "Sharpay got home after I went to sleep, and she didn't open her door when I knocked this morning." He shrugged. "Maybe she has a hangover."

"Why don't you keep sodas in here?" Jason called from behind the bar.

"Because it's a _bar_," said Troy. "My dad doesn't like keeping anything non-alcoholic in there."

"And we still can't drink, right?"

Troy blinked. "You want to drink at two?"

"Fine. Are the sodas in the kitchen?"

"Yup. But I'm not sure if I would go in there," Troy warned. "Last night, my grandmother watched 'Fiddler of the Roof' so she's really emotional. Something about my mom and aunt growing up and me not being Jewish."

Jason waved him off. "I can handle it." He disappeared through the doorway and into the hall.

"How do you do this?" asked Gabriella, frustrated, as she tried to position a pool stick in the same way Chad had. When she tried to hit one of the balls, she accidently caused it to bounce up in the air.

Troy laughed. "Come here." He put his arms around Gabriella from behind and helped her hold the stick the right way. He gripped her hands and helped her sink an orange ball. Even after the ball had sunk, Troy kept his arms around Gabriella, and she smiled, her eyes closed, as she leaned back into him.

"Wow, now I know why Sharpay gets nauseous around you two," said Taylor, making a face. She turned to Chad. "We'll never be like that, right?"

"I couldn't act like that if I _tried_," said Chad.

Troy removed his hold on Gabriella and blushed. She placed the pool stick down on the table, her cheeks red as well, but they still held hands.

Jason scrambled back in from the hall, a pack of sodas in his hands, and slammed the door behind him.

"Did she get a hold of you?" asked Troy knowingly.

Jason nodded. "When I was coming out of the kitchen, she came in and started asking me what that 'ipish' was." He frowned. "Then she told me I had to take a shower."

"Yeah, she told you you smelled bad," said Troy.

Jason opened the pack and tossed a Coke to each person. "Oh, Troy, I invited Kelsi to come over today. I hope that was okay."

Troy furrowed his brow. "Uh, yeah, it's okay."

"I didn't have to ask you first, did I?"

"Why are you being so tight-assed?" asked Chad, annoyed.

"Well – you told Zeke that he had to ask before he invited Sharpay over," Jason reminded him.

"Yeah, because that was _Sharpay_," Chad stressed. "If Kelsi was Lucifer, then I'd have a problem. But Kelsi's cool." He paused, before adding, "A little over enthusiastic, but still cool."

Jason looked relieved. "Oh, okay, good."

The door burst open, and Sharpay and Zeke stood there, grinning widely with linked hands. Sharpay was wearing a pair of sweats and a tank top, and her blonde hair was pulled up into a messy pony tail. Zeke was wearing the same clothes as the night before.

"Hey guys," said Zeke smoothly.

"Taylor, Gabriella, I wanna talk to you," said Sharpay giddily. She scrambled forward, grabbed the two girls' arms, and dragged them outside.

After Sharpay slammed Troy's back door behind them, she turned to face Gabriella and Taylor, who were standing on the lawn with expressions of confusion and irritation. "Sharpay, what --" began Taylor, but she was interrupted.

"We did it!" Sharpay nearly screamed.

Gabriella and Taylor stared at her blankly. "Who did what?" asked Gabriella.

"Me and Zeke. We did it!" Sharpay said again. "You know. _It_."

The two other girls gasped in unison, their cans of soda falling and spilling all over the pavement, but they took no notice. "Oh, my God!" cried Gabriella.

"How was it?" asked Taylor immediately.

"Taylor!" Gabriella blushed.

"It was _amazing_," said Sharpay dreamily. "You know how old people try to scare you out of doing it by saying its awkward the first time?" Her friends nodded. "Well, it's totally not!"

"Not at all?" asked Gabriella curiously.

"Nope." She smirked. "At least, not the first four times we did it."

"Four times, girl!?" yelped Taylor.

Sharpay nodded furiously. "Yeah. Well, last night we were went for a walk through that one park, Caitlin Park or something, and, well, we did it!" She beamed.

"Your first time was in a park?" repeated Taylor insipidly.

Sharpay nodded again. "On a bench."

"Whore."

Ignoring her, Sharpay continued, "And then we went back to my house and did it again!" Her face was glowing. "And _then_ when we woke up this morning, we did it twice more!"

"Wow," said Gabriella, in awe.

"I know!" Sharpay sighed. "Zeke is just so hot. Doing it with him was just... amazing."

"Okay, you know, we don't really have to know _everything_," Gabriella said uncomfortably.

Taylor checked the time on her phone. "Hey Gabriella, do you think we should go get ready for the date? It's at five."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Although I still don't think I should go."

Taylor glanced fearfully at Sharpay, as if afraid that the latter would volunteer to take Gabriella's place, but she was too busy lost in her own thoughts. "Let's go back inside," said Sharpay excitedly.

Gabriella and Taylor exchanged looks, but followed Sharpay back inside. As they entered, Troy, Chad, and Ryan were looking disgusted, staring at Zeke, while Jason looked intrigued. "What was it like?" he asked eagerly.

"Zeke!" exclaimed Sharpay, placing her hands on her hips. "Did you tell them?" she accused.

Zeke stared at Sharpay, looking like a deer caught in headlights. They stared at each other for a minute, before Sharpay lunged at him, throwing her arms around his neck and starting to make out with him like no tomorrow.

Everyone looked away, annoyed. "If you guys start undressing, we're leaving," snapped Chad.

"Yeah, and I'll start locking all the doors," added Troy.

There was no verbal response; Zeke simply pushed Sharpay up against the wall as they continued to make out.

"Yeah, well, we're leaving now," said Taylor, motioning to herself and Gabriella. They bounded toward the door, but Chad's voice stopped them.

"Wait, you're just gonna leave us here with these horny rabbits?" he cried desperately, gesturing to Sharpay and Zeke.

"Well, we have a date in two and a half hours!" Taylor reminded him.

"No, we have a date in _half_ an hour," Chad corrected her.

"Thirty minutes!?" she exclaimed. "You gotta be joking."

Chad shook his head. "You're lucky I'm giving you that." He shot a side-glance at Sharpay and Zeke, who were still attached at the mouth. "We'll pick you up at Gabriella's in thirty minutes." When he saw them still standing there, he waved his arms at them. "Go on! You're on the clock!"

* * *

Exactly forty-five minutes later, Troy, Gabriella, Chad, and Taylor were being seated at Chili's. The restaurant was nearly empty, as it was only three o' clock.

"I'm starved," stated Chad, taking the menu from their waitress and looking over it.

"Yeah, me too," agreed Gabriella. "Hey Taylor, what are _you_ gonna have?" she asked pointedly.

Taylor glared at her. "A hamburger," she responded.

"This is nice," Troy commented, draping an arm around Gabriella. "Well, it's a lot better than being back at my house, I guess."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it. If I wanted to watch porn, I'd watch _good_ porn."

The waitress took their drink orders, and returned after only five minutes with them. As she passed the beverages around, she asked if they were ready to order.

"Yeah, I think so," asked Troy, glancing at Gabriella. She nodded.

"I'll start," said Chad. "I'll have a bacon cheeseburger with everything and fries," he said simply, closing his menu and handing it back to the waitress.

"I'll have the same," agreed Troy.

"Hm..." mused Gabriella. "I'll have the chicken taco."

"Good choice," the waitress commented.

"What about you, Taylor?" asked Gabriella, smirking.

Taylor narrowed her eyes at her. She turned to the waitress and said, "I want a burger, but with nothing on it. Just bread and meat. Plain and dry. Medium-well."

"Nothing on it?" the waitress repeated, dumbfounded.

Taylor nodded defiantly. "Nothing. Oh, and on my fries, I don't want any seasonings on it."

"So plain all around?" she sneered.

"You got it," said Taylor pleasantly, handing the menu back. The waitress left, and Gabriella started giggling.

"What a bitch," she said, eyeing the waitress as she walked away.

Taylor grinned but was avoiding Chad's eye. Chad, however, was staring at her.

"I love how you can do that with confidence," he remarked.

Taylor raised her eyebrows and glanced at him. "Um, what?"

Chad jerked his head. "You know. That ordering. Whenever we go out to eat, you always order everything plain, and the waiters always look at you like you're crazy, but it doesn't even faze you."

Taylor blinked, momentarily taken aback, but then smiled at him. "Yeah, it doesn't bother me at all."

Gabriella snorted, and the three others stared at her. Taylor glared, and Gabriella hid her smile with her hand. "Bless me."

Taylor leaned into Chad and grinned, and he pulled her toward him.

"You're not gonna make out, are you?" asked Troy tentatively. "Because if you do, I swear I'll leave."

"And go where, Bolton?" asked Chad. "I'm pretty sure your house is out of the question."

Troy frowned. "You're right."

* * *

Sharpay and Zeke were laying on Troy's couch, wrapped around in each others arms and still making out. Jason, Ryan, and the newly-arrived Kelsi were sitting in seats as far as possible away from them.

Jason glanced wearily at the couple and then muttered to Kelsi, "You, uh, get used to it."

She glanced at him apprehensively. "Really?"

Jason sighed. "No."

"Hey, this'll stop them," said Ryan quietly, and then, slightly louder, he said, "Shar, 'The Sound of Music' is on."

Sharpay removed her lips from Zeke's long enough to say, "TiVo it." Zeke took the opportunity to start kissing her neck softly, and she moaned.

Jason raised his eyes to the ceiling. "I hope to God they don't do it in here."

Sharpay and Zeke jumped up simultaneously, gripping onto each other. "We'll be right back," said Sharpay hurriedly, and they quickly ran out of the den.

"Great!" said Jason, standing up happily. "So, whaddya wanna do now, Kelsi? Play some pool, watch TV, listen to music." He waved his arms. "It's all up to you."

"Can you teach me pool?" she asked excitedly.

"Sure." Jason grabbed her hand and led her over to the pool table, handing her a stick. "Okay, first step is to rub the end of it with some blue chalk," he began, handing her said chalk.

Ryan walked over to the stereo and started flipping through the stations, twirling the knob for a few minutes to find a good one. However, before he could make much progress, the door burst open.

Ryan, Jason, and Kelsi looked up to see Gabriella and Taylor entering the den, their faces depicting looks of shock. Troy came in angrily after them, and finally Chad, dragging with him the half-dressed forms of Sharpay and Zeke, both of whom were red as tomatoes.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" snapped Chad, glaring at them.

"What happened?" asked Kelsi.

No one seemed to be able to answer them. They all gaped for a few seconds, and then finally Troy said, "We ran into them doing it. In my backyard."

"In the middle of the day!" Taylor exclaimed.

Sharpay turned redder, if possible, and wrapped her arms around herself. "Well, you guys didn't have to start yelling at us," she said bitchily.

"You were doing it in my fucking backyard!" Troy yelled.

"It's a free country," she shot back.

"You're right," Troy agreed. "So I guess I'll change the locks."

"Okay, okay," said Zeke. "Look, we're sorry, and we won't do it in your backyard anymore."

"Anymore!?" exclaimed Troy. "Has this been a multiple occurrence?"

"We don't do it ever again," Zeke rephrased.

"Or on my couch."

"Or on your couch," agreed Zeke.

"Or anywhere within five hundred feet of me," Chad supplied.

Zeke glared at him. "Whatever."

"No, man, I'm serious."

"Okay, well Zeke, we better get back to my house," said Sharpay urgently, grabbing his hand.

"No, let's go to my house, it's closer," said Zeke, and they sprinted out of the den.

Chad shook his head. "I'm gonna have nightmares for the rest of my life about that."

"Tell me about it," said Troy massaging his head.

"We just saw Zeke having sex with the devil," sighed Chad. "Let's hope she doesn't get pregnant."

Kelsi shifted on her feet. "So uh... does this kinda stuff happen a lot here? Because if it does, I might not come back."

* * *

**AN:** I'm not a big fan of this chapter, but I hope you liked it.

**UP NEXT:**

The girls enjoy one last summer hurrah, which the boys accidentally stumble upon.


	3. Summer Nights

**AN:** I guess I probably should have mentioned this at the beginning, but this story is not senior year as the HSM writers would have made it; it's senior year with the HSM kids as typical high-schoolers. So yes, they will all be OOC to a point where they drink and have sex. There will be a lot of those in this story, so if you are one of those people who don't like that, then you shouldn't read this. I don't think I have any readers like that, but just in case. This story is relatively tame, but I not as tame as the movies. And I realize that some of you didn't like Sharpay and Zeke having sex; I understand that, especially coming right off of HSM 2, it seems out there, but I personally can imagine them, if they were normal high school kids, having sex. So I'm sorry if you didn't like that, but the rest of the story will follow a similar pattern. I tried to keep everyone in character as much as possible, whilst moving them up a notch.

I can't believe I've forgotten to do this, but HUUUUGE thanks to Caity (Promise.Me.Forever) and Angelina (JolieMarie). They've had to listen to me talk about this story for, like, six months, and they've given me great input, ideas, and opinions. I almost feel like making you co-writers. Thanks to both of you.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Grease_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Summer Nights_

Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Ryan, Sharpay, Zeke, and Jason were all grouped in Troy's den, the TV turned on to an episode of That '70s Show. Everyone but Sharpay was watching the show, while the aforementioned blonde flipped through an old issue of Seventeen magazine, bored. She glanced out the den window, the sun streaming in. She sighed loudly and dramatically, but no one paid her any attention. She stood up, but still no one looked at her. Finally, she said, "Come on, Gabriella and Taylor."

The two girls looked at her. "Excuse me?" asked Taylor.

Sharpay waved her hands. "Come on!" she repeated. "We're going tanning."

"Says who?" asked Gabriella.

"Come on!" she said for a third time. "School starts soon and it's the end of summer. Don't you want to go to school with a nice, golden tan?"

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Somehow I don't think I need one."

"Well, _you_ do," Sharpay said to Gabriella. "Ever since you quit working at _my_ country club, you've been spending all your time cooped up in here. And sadly," she put on a frown, "I have too, and we're both starting to look pale." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Like Ryan." She pointed. Her brother glared at her.

Taylor and Gabriella exchanged looks. "I don't know..." said Gabriella slowly.

"Oh, come on!" she pleaded. "Don't you want some female bonding time between three friends?"

"I don't know if I'd consider us friends," Gabriella said.

Sharpay glared at her. "We're friends," she said shortly. She smiled again and said, "So, let's go!"

"Fine, fine," sighed Taylor as she and Gabriella stood up. They bid good-bye to their respective boyfriends and the rest of the guys, most of whom hadn't even been listening to the conversation, and left the den with Sharpay.

The boys sat in near silence for fifteen minutes, the only noise coming from the television and the occasional laugh from the guys. When the episode ended, Troy turned off the TV and stretched. "Now what do you wanna do?" he asked his four friends, and they shrugged.

Chad leaned over Zeke and grabbed the magazine that Sharpay had been reading earlier. "I've always wondered what's in these," he mused, glancing at the page that Sharpay had left it open on. After reading it for a few seconds, he dissolved into a fit of laughter.

"What is it?" asked Troy, snatching the publication out of his hands and skimming it. It was an article entitled: "Get to know his body!" One of the blown-up questions was: "Is it painful if he gets turned on but doesn't 'finish'?"

Looking thoroughly disturbed, Troy let the magazine fall from his hands and onto the floor. He looked disgusted. "Look what your girlfriend likes reading about, Zeke," he said.

Zeke bent down to pick it up. He saw the article and turned red, while Chad continued laughing. "You're dating a freak!" he gasped.

Jason grabbed the magazine and skimmed it. He read aloud, "'Is there a way I can tell if a guy has an STD?'"

Chad stopped laughing. "This could actually be really interesting," he said, taking the magazine back.

* * *

Sharpay, Gabriella, and Taylor were all sprawled out near Sharpay's pool, wearing tiny bikini's and soaking up some summer rays. They were lying side by side, their eyes closed and icy glasses on the ground near their arms. Gabriella and Taylor had smoothies; Sharpay a pina colada. 

"The thing I hate about sun tanning is tan lines," sighed Sharpay, sitting up and moving the strap of bikini to reveal a thin line of skin that was slightly lighter than the rest of her body. "When Homecoming rolls around, I won't be able to wear a strapless dress because of this!" She pouted dramatically.

Gabriella sat up and brushed her hair up into a ponytail. "Well, you said that you wanted to sunbathe today."

"But I forgot about tan lines, Gabriella!"

Shaking her head, Gabriella leaned back into her chair again. "Then go and get your spray tan done," she said with slight annoyance.

Suddenly, a smirk broke out over Sharpay's features as an idea struck her. She stood up, glanced over the fence near them to make sure that no one was there, and then said, "I know how to get rid of tan lines."

"How?" asked Taylor lazily. Neither she nor Gabriella opened their eyes.

"Watch." Reluctantly, the two girls opened their eyes in time to see Sharpay pulling the string at the back of her bikini top so that it became untied, and it fell from her chest and onto the ground.

Gabriella gasped loudly. "Sharpay!" she cried, looking around and flushing. "What do you think you're doing!?"

"We're all girls here, Gabriella!" Sharpay reminded her. "What's the big deal? This way, I won't have to worry about tan lines."

"B-but --" stammered Gabriella. "What if someone sees you?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Like who? The neighbors are out of town."

"What if... what if Zeke comes over?"

Letting out a bark of laughter, Sharpay said, "I've done it with Zeke. He's seen _all of this_."

Gabriella's mouth gaped like a fish out of water. She looked around at Taylor and demanded, "What do you think?"

Taylor shrugged. "Why not?"

"Taylor!"

"Stop acting like a prude, Gabriella," snapped Sharpay as Taylor removed her own top.

"I'm not a prude," blushed Gabriella.

Sharpay folded her arms. "Really?" She looked around. "Well, let's see. We're sitting in my deserted backyard, with no one else home but us, on one of the last days of summer. Right now, you are the only girl here who won't take off her bathing suit top. If that's not a prude," she smirked, "then what is?"

Gabriella bit her lip, looking terrified. She swallowed and glanced from Sharpay to Taylor and back again. Finally, she heaved a great sigh, "Fine."

"Yay!" said Taylor, grinning. "Come on Gabriella, it's not like you have anything to be ashamed of."

As if it were possible, Gabriella's cheeks turned even redder as she finished untying her top and folding it next to her. The three girls settled back into their lounge chairs and let their exposed chests soak up sun.

After a moment of silence, Taylor said, "It would hurt so bad if we got sunburned."

Sharpay laughed. "Oh, it doesn't hurt that much."

Gabriella and Taylor exchanged looks.

"How many times have you done this, Sharpay?" asked Taylor, amused.

"Just a couple," said Sharpay off-handedly.

The girls relapsed into another douse of silence, and Gabriella began to get more comfortable. At first, she'd kept her arms folded across her chest, but as the minutes passed by and she realized that the chances of someone besides Sharpay and Taylor seeing her were incredibly slim, her arms were untangled and rested on the sides of her lounge chair. Her eyes shut, she breathed in through her nose the summer air and let the heat wash over her body. She turned her face to the side, to thank Sharpay for convincing her to take off her top, but as soon as she opened her eyes, she froze.

Standing at the side entrance of the backyard were three middle-aged men, carrying gardening supplies with them. They were all gaping at the three exposed teenagers, and one of them winked at Gabriella.

She sat up, opened her mouth, and screamed bloody murder.

Taylor and Sharpay jumped about ten feet in the air at the sound of Gabriella's piercing shriek. "Gabriella, what the _fuck_ --" started Sharpay, but Taylor interrupted by jumping up and yelling out too. Sharpay whipped around, her long hair cascading down her front and inadvertently covering herself as she faced the gardeners. As Taylor and Gabriella grabbed their towels to cover their chests, Sharpay smiled at the men.

"Hello, boys," she said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "Come to water the plants and cut the grass and other gardening shit?"

The men continued to stare at her, though her hair was covering anything worth seeing.

Taylor and Gabriella scrambled past Sharpay and towards the house. "Come _on_!" hissed Gabriella, her face as red as it would be had it been burned. She grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her into the cool house, the stares of the gardeners following them until they were safely inside.

"Let go!" Sharpay whined, yanking her arm out of Gabriella's grasp and rubbing it. "What was that for?"

Gabriella threw her bathing suit top back at her. "Three old guys were just staring at our boobs. What, did you want to stay out there?"

"Oh, who cares?" Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"I care!" cried Gabriella.

Sharpay smirked at her. "You liked it."

Gabriella blushed. "I did not," she retorted.

"Yes, you did," Taylor threw in.

"I --" Gabriella looked flushed. "Look, I – UGH!" she groaned in frustration. "Fine! Maybe it was kinda... fun."

"That's it?" prodded Sharpay.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "It was really exhilarating to sunbathe topless and have your old gardeners walk in on us," she said in a monotone voice. "Happy?"

"Oh, Taylor, our Gabriella is all grown-up!" Sharpay glanced around. "Aw, I left my drink out there."

"Now we just have to get her drunk," stated Taylor.

"Yeah, Taylor, when's the last time _you_ got drunk?" laughed Gabriella.

"I've drank before," said Taylor seriously.

Gabriella stared at her. "Really? Why didn't you tell me!?"

"It's not that big of a deal," said Taylor, eyeing her. "I'm not your boyfriend; I don't have to tell you everything."

Gabriella groaned. "Oh, I really am a prude, aren't I?"

Sharpay nodded. "You're the _definition_ of prude."

* * *

Jason, Ryan, Troy, Chad, and Zeke had bowls full of chips and popcorn piled on the coffee table, along with beer cans. Chad was sitting in an armchair, the Seventeen magazine in his hands. He was reading, "Why does guys love to look at naked women? I don't like naked guys that much!" 

The guys all roared with laughter and popped some food in their mouth.

"Damn, why do girls care about stuff like this?" asked Zeke, holding his beer can. "I mean, I don't want to know anything about girl's bodies."

The boys murmured and shuddered slightly.

"Well, only the good stuff," said Chad, and the others agreed.

There was a soft knock on the door and a wheezy voice came from outside the door. "Troy? Are you in there?"

"Shit! Hide the beer!" hissed Troy, and Zeke and Jason grabbed all the cans and stuck them behind the couch pillows. "What the f--" started Troy, but he stopped when Lila walked in.

"Hello boys," she rasped, a cigarette ever-so-present in her hand. Her many necklaces jingled as she walked, wearing skin tight leggings with tube socks once again. "Oh, Troy, you and your friends are such good boys," she cooed. "Sitting around with snacks and doing homework." Chad shifted the magazine in his lap. "Here, have a quarter." She took out her wallet and handed each boy twenty-five cents.

"Wow, that's twenty more than last time!" Ryan murmured.

"Do you need something, Grandma?" asked Troy kindly, but with a hint of impatience.

Lila blinked at him and was silent for a moment. "I can't remember," she said bluntly, before ambling out of the den.

"Why the fuck did you put the beer behind the _pillows_!?" snapped Troy, retrieving the cans. "If they'd spilled I would've been screwed."

"I don't think you even needed to hide them, man," said Chad. "Lila's blind as a bat, even with those bifocals she wears."

"So what's the next thing girls want to know about guys?" asked Zeke.

Chad scanned the page. "'Why do guys always get more sweaty than girls?'"

"'Cause guys are athletic!" said Zeke in an obvious tone, rolling his eyes.

"Are girls really this dumb?" agreed Jason.

"Well that was a pointless question. What's next?" asked Troy.

"'I've heard some people talk about 'precum.' What is that?'"

The guys were silent for a moment before they shifted uncomfortably.

"Um, I'm gonna get more, uh, beers --" began Jason.

"Yeah, I'm gonna get some food," added Zeke quickly.

"I'll, uh, help," Ryan offered.

* * *

"Okay, the gardeners are gone," said Sharpay irritably. "_Now_ can we go out?" 

"Yes," said Gabriella, holding a fresh smoothie. The girls were once again going to topless sunbathe, but Gabriella has simply refused to do it with gardeners ogling at her.

The three girls, their bathing suit tops already off, took their drinks with them out into the hot New Mexico heat. They set them down on the ground and lay back in the chaise lounge chairs that they'd been sitting in previously. After looking around quickly to make sure that no one was around this time, Gabriella sat back and raised her arms over her head. "This really does feel good," she confessed.

Sharpay smiled, her eyes closed. "Told you," she said simply.

They sat in the sun for a long time, loving the feeling of the hot sun on their bodies. Gabriella especially liked the feeling she got to be doing something that she never would have _dreamed_ of doing a few months ago. She felt adventurous.

"I'm gonna go swimming," she announced after a half hour. She padded over to the side of the pool and dipped her foot in. The cool water felt nice against her scalding skin. She stepped into the pool's shallow end before diving in, taking deep strokes under the water.

She took a deep breath as she broke through the water's surface for air. She pushed her hair away from her face and grabbed a lime green raft that was on the edge of the pool. She clambered herself on it and sprawled out, letting the sun dry her skin.

Gabriella must've fallen asleep, because after what only seemed like five minutes the sun had gotten significantly lower. From what she could see, Sharpay and Taylor had fallen asleep as well. Her skin was boiling, but one look at herself notified her that she wasn't sunburned. She rolled off the raft and into the pool, cooling herself down, before laying back down on the raft.

She took a deep breath through her nose and closed her eyes again, stretching, but her ears perked up at the sound of a whistle.

She sat up so fast that she barely had time to make out Troy, Jason, Zeke, Chad, and Ryan staring at all of them and shriek loudly before she fell back into the water. Her scream had sucked the air from her lungs so that when she went under the surface, she had no air in her body and she started flailing her arms wildly.

Someone jumped into the water and grabbed her around the middle, bringing her up above the surface. She continued splashing wildly.

"Hey, stop it, I got you," said Troy's voice in her ear.

She kicked him in the leg and managed to get him to release her. She spun around and glared at him. "What the hell? Why'd you jump in?"

"You fell in the water," Troy informed her.

She rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, I can _swim_. You don't need to rescue me, Lassie."

Troy continued staring at her, and she grew uncomfortable.

"What?" she asked self-consciously. And then she remembered.

She looked down and saw her breasts bobbing above the water.

She screamed loudly again and pushed Troy away from her. "GET AWAY! STOP IT!" she shouted, and her yells finally arose Sharpay and Taylor.

"Stop screaming, Gabriella," snapped Sharpay, opening her eyes.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED AGAIN!" Gabriella was shouting, covering her chest with her hands but Troy kept looking at them.

"Zeke?" said Sharpay, standing up. He stared at her chest as well, and she smirked. "Let's go upstairs."

Zeke didn't need telling twice; he grabbed her hand and dragged her into the house.

Chad yelled after them, "We saw your magazine Sharpay!" Glancing down at Gabriella, he yelled, "Looking good!" Gabriella's face burned, and Troy finally tore his eyes away from her to glare at him.

"Hey, shut up!"

"Come on, Troy, you should proud your girlfriend has nice tits!" said Jason.

Ryan nodded. "I needed something to look at so I wouldn't see Sharpay."

Gabriella lowered herself so far down in the water that only her head was visible.

Taylor, who may not be as conservative as Gabriella but was not as daring as Sharpay, had already put her bathing suit top back on. "Come on, Taylor!" pleaded Chad. "I only got to see them for a second."

"Yeah, because you started cat-calling Gabriella," she snapped.

"Gabriella has hot boobs," said Chad. "She's just _hot_. If you're one of those jealous girls --"

"Hey, man, shut up!" Troy yelled again, glaring at them.

"What are you still doing in the pool?" asked Ryan.

Troy glanced shiftily at Gabriella. "Um. Something came up."

The three guys started to roar with laughter while Gabriella stared, horrified, at Troy.

"Oh, my God!" she shrieked, finally jumping out of the pool. Her arms crossed over her chest, she ran over to Taylor, who handed her her bathing suit top. Gabriella then sprinted into the house to get dressed.

"You're gross, Troy," said Taylor, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, Taylor, sex is a natural aspect of life," mocked Chad. "Without reproduction, the world would cease to exist."

Troy's face was burning, as he got out of the pool, his shorts and T-shirt sopping wet. He shook his head to rid his hair of the water.

"It's not _my_ fault," said Troy defensively. "I can't control these --"

"Do not finish that sentence," ordered Taylor, and Troy stopped talking.

"What were you girls doing out here, anyway?" asked Chad, smirking. "Playing chicken? Wrestling each other in the water and then falling asleep from exhaustion?"

"Yes, Chad, you've got it!" Taylor said sarcastically. "That's exactly what girls do with each other. Water wrestle."

Chad shrugged innocently. "Look, all we know is that we walked in on you and Sharpay topless --" he shuddered at the mention of the blonde's name, "-- and then a wet and topless Gabriella in the water. I'm surprised something didn't 'come up' on all of us."

Taylor shut her eyes. "I don't need to hear any of this stuff."

"Apparently Sharpay does," said Jason, and the guys snickered.

"What?"

"When you left, we saw that Sharpay had left her magazine open to an article about what girls want to know about guys bodies," Troy explained.

"Oh, yeah, but Sharpay already knew about it all," said Taylor off-handedly.

The guys exchanged looks. "Huh?"

"Sharpay likes to read articles like that so she can laugh at all the inexperienced girls."

"Inexperienced?" repeated Chad. "Didn't she do it for the first time, like, a week ago?"

"Yeah, but she still knows everything."

Ryan closed his eyes. "If we're going to talk about my sister's sex life, I'm going inside."

"Won't do no help, buddy," said Chad, clapping Ryan on the back. "Sharpay and Zeke are doing it right now."

He sighed. "I think I'm going to kill myself."

Gabriella walked outside, wearing the tank-top and shorts she'd been wearing earlier that day. She looked a little sick, and when she was within earshot, she said, "I could hear Sharpay and Zeke doing it. They're really loud. And they, like, never stop."

"Where does my dad keep his gun?" Ryan asked aloud.

Gabriella ignored his comment and glared at Troy. "Is anything _up_ any more?"

"Oh, Gabriella, give him a break," said Taylor, and they looked all looked at her in surprise.

"What?" repeated Gabriella, stunned.

Taylor shrugged nonchalantly. "So he's a guy and he's horny. What are you gonna do, castrate him?"

Gabriella flushed. "No, but --"

"You should take it as a compliment," Taylor continued. "It means you turn him on."

Gabriella flushed and glanced at Troy. "Do I really?" she asked shyly.

Troy smiled sweetly and hugged her, but she immediately stepped away. "But I don't want something to come up again," she said. "And you're all wet."

"Oh yeah." He looked down. "Well, I guess we better go back to my place, then?"

"Yeah. Zeke and Sharpay are violating the 'no doing it within 500 feet of me' rule, so I need to get out of here," agreed Chad.

* * *

Troy, Jason, Chad, Ryan, Taylor, and Gabriella entered Troy's house through the front door and Troy jogged upstairs to change. The other five entered his kitchen and Chad opened the refrigerator, reaching for one of Jack Bolton's beer cans, but changed the direction of his hand at the sound of Becca and Lila arguing. He instead grabbed a few Coke's and passed them around. 

"Ma, you can't come barging into my home and then start ordering Jack around --"

"Your home? Psh!" said the older woman. "I gave you life, remember."

The two entered the kitchen, both wearing looks of contempt, and noticed the five teenagers. "Oh, hello," said Becca smiling. "Where's Troy? Is he not being a good host? Because I always tell him how to behave politely in front of company, but I'm afraid it just goes in one ear and --"

"Oh, you're here," said Lila, making a face at Gabriella.

"Ma!" snapped Becca. "_You_ must be where Troy gets his bad manners from." She turned to Gabriella. "I'm so sorry --"

"Oh, Becca," Lila said, waving her hand. "Don't baby her."

Gabriella raised her eyebrows. "Um --"

"Ma, I'm not babying her!" said Becca. "She's not even my child. It would be a little strange if she was because she's dating my son --"

Gabriella turned a little green. "You know, I --"

"Well, you're still babying her," said Lila, lighting a cigarette. "She can take some criticism."

"How are you giving her criticism?" asked Becca.

Lila turned to Gabriella. "You should be more like the blonde." She walked over to Gabriella and touched her hair. "Brown. Ugh." She made a face. "I knew this great hair colorist in Queens who could make _anyone_ look good as a blonde. It may be a stretch for you, but I'm sure Claude could do it."

"Ma, is that the same guy who turned your hair the same color as a lemon?"

"It wasn't a lemon," said Lila shortly before facing Gabriella again. "You also might want to lose a few pounds." She pinched Gabriella's hip. "Oh, and you're too tan."

"Grandma?" Troy appeared in the kitchen, wearing a fresh set of clothes. "How many times have I told you not to harass my girlfriend?"

"I wasn't harassing anyone!" said Lila defensively, leaving the kitchen as fast as an sixty-nine-year-old woman could.

Gabriella walked over to Troy and stuck out her lower lip. "Am I fat, Troy?"

"Well, your chest might --" Troy turned red and side-glanced at his mom. Gabriella pushed him in the stomach. "I mean, no."

"Gabriella, please don't get all 'Lifetime movie' on us and become anorexic," said Taylor. "I can just imagine you giving an interview about how you stopped eating because your boyfriend's senile grandmother said you were fat." She suddenly turned red and said to Becca, "I – I didn't mean senile --"

"No, no, she's senile," sighed Becca. "Well, not literally. She's one-hundred-percent healthy, I just use senile as an exaggeration --"

She was cut off by Sharpay and Zeke entering the kitchen. Their clothes and hair were disheveled.

"You guys couldn't clean yourselves up before coming over?" asked Taylor irritably.

Becca smiled, oblivious. "Oh, were you two exercising? You know, I always try and get Troy to hit the gym, but I guess with all his basketball he gets enough of a workout --"

Sharpay smoothed out her jeans. "Yes, we were exercising." She elbowed Zeke. "I think I burned a couple hundred calories." She laughed. "Not that I needed to, of course."

Jason's phone started beeping. He took it out, read the text message, and grinned. "I just asked out Kelsi."

"You asked her out in a _text message_?" said Sharpay, horrified.

Jason looked confused. "Yeah..."

She let out a laugh. "You'll be lucky if you keep her."

He looked shiftily around. "I don't --"

"Man, I wasn't even dumb enough to ask out Taylor in a text," said Chad, clapping Jason on the back.

Their conversation was put on hold as Lila returned.

"Becca, if I sit in the backyard with just my brassiere, will anyone see?

* * *

**AN:** What'd ya think? And sorry for the huge AN before. 

**UP NEXT:**

Senior year is starting, but where's Ms. Darbus?


	4. Oh What A Beautiful Morning

**AN:** Reviews are dwindling. :( Did the chapters get worse?

The chapter title comes from the musical _Oklahoma!_

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Oh What A Beautiful Morning_

Troy's morning began at the un-Godly hour of six a.m., with his mother raising the blinds and singing a different version of the "Clean-up song."

"Get up, get up, it's time to go to school! Get up, get up, everybody let's get up!" she sang.

Troy groaned and threw a pillow at his mother's face. "Get out of here!" he shouted and tried to fall back asleep.

"Troy, it's time for school!"

"What are you talking about?" he whined.

"School starts _today_," she repeated.

Troy shot up straight in bed. "You're joking, right?"

"Oh, it's finally sinking in?" said Becca.

"What?"

"You've been a little out of it," said Becca. "You got your schedule in the mail yesterday, and then you just went blank. You would sit in the den with your friends while they were comparing schedules but you just sat there. Chad told them it happened to you every year."

Troy groaned and fell back onto his pillow. "You're not just messing with me, right Mom? Because if you are, I swear I'll --"

"You don't want to finish that sentence," Becca snapped, tossing Troy a set of clothes.

"You picked out my clothes, Mom?" sighed Troy.

Becca bent down and pinched one of Troy's cheeks. "Yes, I did," she cooed. "Just because my little boy is a senior in high school and will be leaving me in just one short year, doesn't mean I can't still pick out your clothes!"

Troy blinked at his mother. "Mom --"

Becca, however, was too emotional to be consoled. "I'm gonna go make you some breakfast!" she said hysterically before running out of his room, crying.

* * *

Troy drove up to East High, looking forlornly at the campus. He sighed deeply. After parking his car and getting out, his backpack slung over his arm, he looked dejectedly at it again.

"Just one more year," he said to himself.

"Troy!" called a voice.

He turned and saw Gabriella waving at him, getting out of her own car. He grinned and walked over to her. "Hey."

"I see you've pulled out of your pre-school depression," she commented, shutting the driver's door and locking it. She pulled out her schedule. "Now we can finally see what classes we have together."

"Awesome!" said Troy, grabbing hers and holding it up next to his. His eyes scanned back and forth. "Holy shit, you're taking three AP classes!?" he yelped. "We'll never see each other!"

"Oh, but it's just math and science," she assured him. "I can do that easily. Now, if I was in AP English, that'd be a different story..."

"And Drawing and Painting?" he questioned.

She shrugged. "I need a Fine Art class. Plus, it'll probably be an easy A."

"We don't have any classes together." Troy frowned. "Except Homeroom, with --"

"Gabriella!" a familiar voice shouted from across the parking lot. Sharpay and Zeke were getting out of the latter's car, and Chad, Taylor, Jason, Kelsi, and Ryan were standing near them. Joining hands, the two approached their friends.

Chad snatched Troy's schedule as soon as they were near enough, and compared it with his. "Alright, you have Gym with me and Zeke and Jason," he said. "But dude, I think you have some classes with Sharpay."

"WHAT!?" Sharpay shouted, running over to them. She looked over Chad's shoulder to see Troy's classes. "Oh, my God, we have Homeroom, Government, AND Spanish together!" She glared at Troy, as if it were his fault. "What asshole in the administration put me in three classes with Troy Bolton, and only ONE with my Zeke?"

"Guess who's the lucky one to be stuck in English with them?" Chad muttered darkly to Troy.

"I can't believe I have three classes with you," said Troy blankly to Sharpay.

"Luckily Taylor has Gov with us."

"Oh thank God."

"Did you notice who's your Homeroom teacher?" asked Chad of Troy.

Troy glanced down at the paper in his hand. "Mrs. Buchanan," he read. "Hm. Never heard of her."

"Read on, my friend," said Chad. "What room is she in?"

"Room A106," he recited. "Wait a minute. Isn't that Ms. Darbus's room?"

"Good find, Sherlock."

"Wait, what happened to Ms. Darbus?"

"We don't know," said Ryan. "Shar and I have Drama IV, and Mrs. Buchanan is teaching that too."

"We were talking about it yesterday," explained Gabriella. "You were there but, well, not really." She smiled. "Anyway, we've come to the conclusion that there's either two drama teachers now, or Darbus doesn't work here anymore."

"Wow, did that take you all day to figure out?" asked Troy sarcastically. Gabriella kicked him.

The first bell sounded throughout the school, and students started streaming in the front doors.

Troy sighed and looked around at his friends. "Well, here we go. Our last first day of school."

"Aw, Troy, how sentimental," mocked Chad. "Are we in a Disney movie?"

"Ha-ha," said Troy, taking Gabriella's hand and leading his friends in the doors of East High.

Zeke, Ryan, Taylor, and Kelsi separated from them as they went to their own Homeroom, and the other five made the familiar path to Ms. Darbus's room – that wasn't Ms. Darbus's room anymore.

Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Chad, and Jason were the first arrivals in their Homeroom class, and they looked around it uneasily. The room was completely different; there were still posters of various musicals on the walls, but they weren't school productions. Instead, they were posters for Grease the musical, the new Hairspray movie, and various other Broadway shows. Ms. Darbus's little stage at the front of the room was gone, and the room looked strangely empty without it. At Ms. Darbus's desk sat a young, pretty blonde woman with striking blue eyes. Her appearance irked the teens.

"Where's Ms. Darbus?" asked Sharpay loudly.

The teacher looked up and smiled widely at them, flashing very white, very straight teeth. "Ms. Darbus does not occupy this classroom anymore."

"Did they fire her?" Gabriella inquired.

The teacher laughed. "No, no. She's been promoted."

"Why would anyone promote Darbus?" muttered Chad.

"From what I know, she's been after the VP position for a while, and after the retirement of Mr. Wells, Ms. Darbus was the next contender," explained Mrs. Buchanan. "Please, have a seat wherever you like."

The five of them grumbled under their breath as they shuffled to the back of the room. Sharpay and Gabriella sat in the back two seats, with Chad and Troy respectively in front of them, and Jason in front of Chad.

"So Darbus still works here, but not in the classroom," mused Troy. "I wonder if she'll still direct musicals."

"I hope so, because I hate that bitch," said Sharpay, glaring at Mrs. Buchanan and not bothering to keep her voice down. But luckily for her, fifteen students poured into the room at once, talking and laughing loudly, so the teacher didn't hear her.

A few moments later, all the students had taken their seats and the tardy bell rang. Mrs. Buchanan, smiling widely, stood in front of the class and waited patiently for the talking to subside.

"Hello, class," she said pleasantly, once she had everyone's attention. "As you may or may not know, my name is Mrs. Buchanan, and I will be your Homeroom teacher for the year. I have also replaced Ms. Darbus as head of the Drama department."

"Oh, no," said Sharpay softly. "Wait'll Ryan hears about this." She whipped out her phone and started texting quickly.

"We'll be pushing the school musicals in another direction," Mrs. Buchanan continued. "Instead of original compositions, we will instead put on two shows a year – in the fall and winter – remaking musicals. This fall will be Hairspray."

"Oh, I loved that movie!" whispered Gabriella.

"Isn't Link, like, the hottest guy _alive_?" Sharpay whispered back.

Gabriella nodded in agreement, but Troy scowled. "I thought he looked gay."

"Auditions are in a few weeks, so I encourage anyone who's interested to try out!" She squealed excitedly. "Hairspray has a large cast, so we need as many people as possible!"

"Oh no!" said Sharpay suddenly. "I can't try out! The lead is played by a fat girl!" She pouted. "Maybe they can put me in a fat suit... I would suffer through it."

"Ah, I see we have Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez in this class," said Mrs. Buchanan, glancing over her roll sheet. "Ms. Darbus told me about you two," she said, and everyone in the class looked back at them. "She said that I should be prepared to cast you in all the leads." She laughed. "Well, while I value Ms. Darbus's opinion, I hope you wouldn't be mad if I ignored her advice. I like to give everyone an equal chance." She smiled in a slight demeaning manner.

Gabriella looked at her in annoyance.

Sharpay's hand flew in the air. "Oh, Mrs. Buchanan!" she said enthusiastically, liking the teacher more now for insulting Troy and Gabriella. "I'm Sharpay Evans. My brother Ryan and I are _huge_ theatre enthusiasts. We're in your Drama IV class. What did Ms. Darbus say about us?"

Mrs. Buchanan laughed again. "Oh, she didn't mention you to me. I would've remembered if she had, with a name like that. You are aware that a Shar Pei is a dog breed, aren't you?" She beamed, somehow thinking that her comment was a kind one.

Sharpay glared daggers at Mrs. Buchanan as she slowly lowered her hand. Chad snorted with laughter. "This is my favorite teacher!" he whispered to Troy and Jason. Sharpay kicked him in the back with her heel between the gap in his chair.

"Holy shit!" he yelled in pain, bringing his hand to his lower back. "What the fuck was that for?"

"Tisk, tisk, swearing in class, Mr..."

"Cross," said Chad. "I'm Jason Cross."

"What the hell?"

"Nice try, Mr. Danforth," said Mrs. Buchanan. "Ms. Darbus told me about you, as well. I'm afraid I'll see you in detention after school."

Chad turned and glared at Sharpay, who smiled sweetly and said, "Still your favorite teacher?"

"Am I gonna have to paint sets for the musical?" he asked the teacher cautiously.

Mrs. Buchanan laughed. "Oh, of course not! You simply have to sit in this room for thirty minutes without doing anything. No iPods, no cell phones, not even any homework."

Chad turned, looking horrified at his friends. "I never thought I'd ever say this, but I miss Ms. Darbus."

* * *

"So Gabriella, what are you doing, taking Drawing and Painting?" asked Ryan as he and Gabriella entered their classroom.

"Well, as much as I love math and science," began Gabriella, "I need a breather during the day. An easy A. Art is my easy A."

"Art's kinda hard," Ryan warned.

Gabriella laughed. "Well, you can't fail someone for not being a good drawer. I'll just put in the effort."

The two of them sat next to each other at a table in the corner of the room and and students slowly trickled in until it was filled. Ms. Gilbert, the very old Art teacher, stepped in front of the class and narrowed her eyes at all of them.

"I take my art very seriously," she said bluntly. "I expect everyone to give one hundred percent in this class, got it?"

They all nodded.

"Good. Your first assignment is to pick a partner and draw something on them that really stands out. This will give me a feel of your artistic ability." She waved her hands. "You have twenty minutes. Get going."

Gabriella turned to Ryan. "Well, your brown hat with the yellow chick really stands out to me," she said. She grabbed a sheet of paper from the pile in the middle of the table and a pencil before bending over to draw it.

Twenty minutes later, they were instructed to switch papers as Ms. Gilbert walked around to critique the drawings.

Gabriella snorted. "You drew my eyes?"

Ryan flushed. "Well, they stand out to me." He shifted uncomfortably. "Please don't show Troy that."

She giggles. "Okay. How do you like my hat?"

"Who drew this?" came a snap, and the two jumped. Ms. Gilbert was standing over them, glaring at Gabriella's hat drawing.

"Um. I did," said Gabriella in a small voice.

"Is this supposed to be a pile of dung?"

Gabriella stared at her with wide eyes while Ryan stifled his laughter. "No. It's a hat. _That_ hat." She pointed at Ryan.

"This looks absolutely _nothing_ like a hat," said Ms. Gilbert flatly. "It looks as if you drew what you'd find in the sewer." Gabriella flushed.

"I think it looks pretty cool," said Ryan, his voice cracking with held in laughter, in a desperate attempt to stand up for Gabriella.

"Oh, but this!" gasped Ms. Gilbert, holding up Ryan's drawing and staring at it in awe. "This is marvelous! Did you draw this?" she asked him, and he nodded. "This is astounding. You were able to make her eyes beautiful!"

Gabriella glared at Ms. Gilbert, but held her tongue.

"Oh, thanks!" beamed Ryan.

"I'm going to keep this one, if you don't mind," she said, clutching their picture to her chest as she moved on to other students' pictures.

Gabriella swiped her picture and scrutinized it. "This does _not_ look like shit."

"She didn't say it looked like shit," said Ryan. "She said it looked like... poop." He giggled at the word.

"Wow," said Gabriella, watching him. "Well, anyway, she was totally sucking up to you."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "That's not something you hear everyday. A _teacher_ sucking up to a _student_?" He gasped suddenly. "You don't think she was... coming on to me?"

"Oh, I know you'd love that, but sadly I don't think that's what it was," said Gabriella. "She hates me."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Gabriella, you're ridiculous. She doesn't not like you. She just thought your --"

Ms. Gilbert's voice boomed out over the low rumble of the student's talking. "I am pleased to admit that everyone did an extraordinary job on their drawings. Well, except Miss Montez over here." Everyone turned to look at her, and she blushed. "Dear God, child, what _is_ that on your face?"

"What?"

"That, right there. On your forehead."

Gabriella brushed her bangs over her face. "It's a zit," she snapped, and Ryan's face was red with held-in laughter.

"Oh." Ms. Gilbert's face was blank. "Sorry for pointing it out." But she didn't look sorry at all.

"Bitch," murmured Gabriella under her breath.

* * *

"Taylor!" Troy burst into his third period Government class and looked around wildly. Taylor was talking with Sharpay near the door, and the two looked at him like he was crazy.

"What?"

"Sit next to me," he demanded, taking a seat at the back. Taylor raised an eyebrow at Sharpay, but sat down next to him, with Sharpay in front of her.

"What the hell?"

"I didn't want to be next to Sharpay."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "God, Troy, you are so dramatic."

"Am not," Troy retorted. "It's bad enough that we have all these classes together. I shouldn't have to be subjected to sitting next to you in them."

"I'm, like, one seat away from you," she said, exasperated.

"Still better."

* * *

"This is horrible!" cried Kelsi over-dramatically at lunch later that day. The eight friends were joined by Kelsi and Martha at their usual table in the center of the cafeteria, and Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Chad, and Jason had just finished telling the others about Homeroom that day. "No more original compositions? What am I gonna do!?"

"I don't like her," said Ryan. "After five minutes of Drama today, I wanted to knock out all her pearly-white teeth. I could probably make a fortune off of them on eBay."

"Is the musical really gonna be Hairspray?" asked Martha curiously. "I would love to play Tracy."

"No, Martha, _I_ need to get the lead," snapped Sharpay. "I haven't had a lead since the fall musical last year, and if you get the lead, I think I just might die!"

"Look, it doesn't matter," Ryan cut in. "We'll talk about the musical later. But what's really important is we're stuck with this God-awful Drama teacher. We need Darbus back."

Everyone was surprised to be in agreement.

"Ms. Darbus hated teaching us," Troy reminded them.

"Well if that bitch is directing the musicals, I might start doing community theatre," said Sharpay defiantly.

"Community theatre?" repeated Taylor. "Damn, you must be serious."

"Troy, how come your dad didn't tell us Ms. Darbus got promoted?" asked Sharpay bitchily.

"Uh, because no one asked?"

"You guys don't understand! What am I gonna do without my compositions!?" complained Kelsi.

"Hm, maybe try out for the musical?" suggested Taylor, annoyed.

"Oh, but I could never do _that_!"

"Well, it's your only choice, so either audition or shut up."

Kelsi looked shocked, but stopped talking nonetheless.

At that moment, Ms. Darbus descended from the stairs in the cafeteria, looking exactly as she had the year before except she now carried a black walkie-talkie required for upper staff members.

"MS. DARBUS!!!" called Sharpay loudly. Said teacher looked around at the sound of her name and saw Sharpay frantically waving her over.

"What are you doing?" hissed Chad.

"Like you weren't about to do the same thing," Sharpay snapped back.

Ms. Darbus reached their table. "Hello, young thespians. Enjoying your senior year thus far?"

"Ms. Darbus, Mrs. Buchanan is _horrible_!" wailed Sharpay dramatically. "Please, come back!"

"Oh, no, Miss Evans, that I cannot do," said Ms. Darbus. "I have been after this Vice Principal job for many, many years. It's only about time Mr. Wells got too old to walk."

"So you're just going to willingly hand over the drama department that you've worked so hard to get it to where it is today?" said Sharpay tactfully.

Ms. Darbus's face flushed with anger. "Well, when I took the job, I had no idea that a new drama teacher was going to be hired – if that had been the case, I would've pondered my decision longer --"

"Ms. Darbus, she's taking away the original compositions!" Kelsi threw in. "This fall we're performing _Hairspray_!"

"Great movie," Ms. Darbus commented. "Oh, how I love that show. I wish I could direct it."

"Oh, please direct it!" pleaded Sharpay. "Just because you're not the drama teacher doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to direct our shows. Talk to Principal Matsui about it."

"Well..." said Ms. Darbus thoughtfully. "I suppose it would be possible for me to direct the musical. After all, that woman could be my assistant." Ms. Darbus smiled evilly. "That would certainly be an experience."

Sharpay and Ryan exchanged gleeful looks. "Oh, and Ms. Darbus," added Sharpay. "If you direct the musical – can I play Tracy? I'll even wear a fat suit!"

Ms. Darbus patted her on the head. "I'm sorry, Miss Evans, but the theatre has certain laws that must be followed. One of them is that Tracy Turnblad may not be played by a girl in a fat suit." She glanced at Martha. "You would be perfect!"

Martha flushed.

* * *

"How awesome is this?" said Chad to Zeke, Jason, Ryan, and Gabriella as they walked into the sixth, and last, period Government class.

"What? Government?" asked Ryan.

"No! The four of us have a class with Gabriella!" exclaimed Chad, and Gabriella turned red. "Without Troy, no less."

"So what you're _saying_..." said Jason slowly.

"-- is that we can hit on Gabriella all we want without being afraid of Troy beating us up!" finished Ryan, pumping a fist into the air.

"Ha-ha," said Gabriella, taking a seat. It was her mistake to sit in a middle desk, as it put Ryan and Chad on either side of her, and Jason and Zeke in front of and behind her. "Three of you have girlfriends, you know."

"How're they gonna know?"

"Hm, let's see," mocked Gabriella. "I could tell them."

"Don't be such a _prude_, Gabriella," smirked Chad.

"Don't pull that on me," she warned. "If you piss me off, the first person I'll tell about it is Taylor. And then Sharpay. And then Kelsi."

"Well, I have nothing to worry about." Ryan beamed at her and clapped her on the back. "Plus, we have Art AND English together too!"

"English will rule," agreed Jason, who was also in their class.

Gabriella raised her eyes to the heavens and sighed.

Troy, Gabriella, Taylor, Zeke, and Jason all practically fell into Troy's den after school that day.

"I want summer to come back," complained Troy.

"It's not that bad," reasoned Gabriella.

"How can you say that?" asked Troy incredulously. "You're taking three AP classes and you're fine with school. I'm taking Physics and Algebra 2 because _you_ talked me into it and I'm about to commit suicide." He closed his eyes.

"It's okay, I'll help you with math and science," Gabriella soothed him. His head was in her lap and she was stroking his hair.

"Hey, where's Chad?" asked Zeke.

"Detention with Mrs. Buchanan," snorted Troy. "He got in trouble for swearing after Sharpay kicked him."

"Speaking of Sharpay, where is she?" asked Taylor, looking around.

"She and Ryan went to visit Ms. Darbus after school," responded Zeke.

On cue, Ryan and Sharpay burst through the door to Troy's den.

"Success!" cheered Ryan, raising his fists.

"Darbus convinced Matsui to let her direct the school productions," explained Sharpay, planting herself in Zeke's lap. "As long as Mrs. Buchanan is co-director," she added, rolling her eyes.

"Is that all?" asked Ryan pointedly of his sister, and she pouted. "Well, as Sharpay conveniently left out, Ms. Darbus also wanted us to tell you all to audition for Hairspray."

"All of us?" repeated Jason wearily. "I don't know about --"

"Oh, my gosh, that would be so fun!" said Gabriella excitedly.

"I can't sing," said Jason.

"Gabriella, my singing career started and ended with --"

"Troy," interrupted Gabriella. "If you say the talent show, I'm punching you in the face."

The others raised an eyebrow. "Sharpay's rubbing off on you!" exclaimed Taylor.

"That's not good," said Troy worriedly. "Gabriella, please don't become a bitch."

"I'm not being a bitch," Gabriella assured him. "But you keep trying to convince everyone that you don't want to sing when it's totally a lie. We're auditioning, and that's that." She smiled dreamily. "I'd love to play Penny."

"I am _not_ happy with the musical choice," said Sharpay.

"We know, we know," sighed Taylor. "You can't play the fat girl. Just get over it."

The back door opened and Chad walked in. Without saying anything, he walked over to Troy's bar, opened the mini-fridge that contained the beer cans, and jugged half of one in a matter of seconds.

"Bad day in detention?" guessed Taylor.

"The worst," said Chad weakly, slamming the beer can onto the coffee table. "All I did was sit there for a half hour. Doing nothing except look at the clock." He glanced around at them all. "Do you know how slow time goes when you're just looking at a clock?"

They all nodded.

"She also talks a lot," he continued. "Her husband's name is Jim and they've been married for five years and even though she's a teacher she doesn't want kids. She has four mini-poodles named, get this, Beyonce, Michelle, Kelly, and George Clooney. Apparently George Clooney and Beyonce like to have dog sex, but luckily they're both fixed so there aren't any Foxxy Cleo-Clooney's running around. She moved here from Maine and was an aspiring actress as a teenager but decided to instead devote her life to making _other_ people realize their acting and singing dreams." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, Chad, just make sure you don't swear in her class again, and everything will be fine," said Sharpay, smiling innocently at him.

"Speaking of," said Chad, glaring at her, "I think I'm going to have a permanent bruise on my back from when you drove your heel into it."

"Suck it up."

* * *

**AN:** Speaking of Hairspray, I watched it today. Loved it. Review pleeease.

**UP NEXT:**

The end of the first week of school means it's time to throw a party.


	5. Totally Fucked

**AN:** This is my favorite chapter title.

I hope people will stick with this story. I realize it seems kinda boring right now but I swear it picks up. And I guess I could lie to you and say that, but it's actually true. I just didn't want to overload on drama at the beginning because this is generally a light story. It's not like The OC. No one is gonna get shot or kidnapped or pregnant or become an alcoholic/drug abuser in this story. But it does have its fair share of drama... just not for a few more chapters. The first few are just setting the story and establishing everyone's personality traits and flaws, and the friendship between the characters.

Good God, I talk/type too much.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Spring Awakening_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Totally Fucked_

"Only one more day until the weekend," groaned Troy, flopping onto his couch. His seven friends were there as well, exhausted after just four days of school.

"Well, the first week is always the longest," said Gabriella, leaning her head on Troy's shoulder.

"You know what we should do?" asked Chad, and when no one answered, he continued. "Have a party!"

"A party?" repeated Troy.

"Yeah!" said Chad enthusiastically. "Is there any way you can get your parents out of the house tomorrow night?"

Troy shrugged. "I doubt it. They're going to Florida tonight with my grandmother to get the rest of her stuff from the retirement place, so they'll be home late tomorrow afternoon and will probably fall asleep."

"So, we can --" began Chad, but Troy interrupted.

"Remember what happened last time we tried to have a party here while my parents were sleeping?"

"Oh yeah." Chad frowned. "Well my place is out of the question, because my parents would sacrifice me if they caught me doing something like this."

Gabriella shifted uncomfortably. "Well, you can't have it at my place --" she ventured.

"What about you?" Chad asked Sharpay, ignoring Gabriella. "You have a nice, big house and your parents are always out of town."

"Our maid and cook are the biggest tattle-tales in the world."

"Let's just have it tonight!" suggested Jason. "Come on, it's senior year!"

"I love parties," began Chad. "but I don't want to have a hangover for my Spanish test tomorrow."

"Aw, is Chad going soft?" teased Zeke, his arm draped loosely around Sharpay.

Chad glared at him. "No, I just --"

"Aww, Chelsea," smirked Sharpay. "Don't wanna be up too late on a school night?"

Chad just stared darkly at them all but didn't respond.

"Hey, what would my girl name be?" mused Troy.

"Tori," said Gabriella immediately.

"Have you put some thought into this?" Troy asked her.

"Oh yes," said Gabriella sardonically. "Just in case you had a sex change operation, your name would already be picked out."

* * *

Troy was the first to arrive back at his house after school on Friday, and his plan had been to fall asleep for about a seven hours and then be up all night long, preferably with Gabriella. But his plans changed when, after about five minutes, he got a phone call from his parents. 

"Dad? Aren't you supposed to be on a plane?" asked Troy by way of greeting.

"Change of plans, Troy," Jack sighed. "There's a huge storm brewing here and all the flights out of Tampa have been cancelled until tomorrow morning."

"Oh?" said Troy, fighting to keep the excitement from his voice. "So you won't be home until when?"

Jack sounded miserable. "Well, we booked a flight for tomorrow at nine a.m., so probably sometime in the afternoon. Can you hold down the fort until then?"

"Oh, sure Dad," said Troy casually. "I'll probably just have the guys over and we'll play some pool."

"Does the guys include Gabriella?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Have fun with that," said Jack, and Troy could practically see him smirking, but he didn't care.

"You know I will," said Troy. "See ya later, Dad."

"Bye, son."

Troy hung up and stood still for a few moments. On cue, he heard the back door open and Chad yell, "Sleeping yet, Bolton?"

Troy jogged into the den and shouted, "PARTY HERE, TONIGHT!"

"What?" asked Chad, surprised. Jason, Zeke, Ryan, Sharpay, Gabriella, and Taylor were standing around him, looking equally confused.

"My dad just called," explained Troy. "All the flights out from Florida have been cancelled 'cause of a storm, so they won't be back until tomorrow afternoon." He grinned. "So you know what that means."

"Party at Bolton's!" yelled Chad, pumping his fist in the air.

Only Gabriella looked uneasy. "Um... I don't think --"

"Oh, you're not backing out of this," Taylor cut in. "You're coming tonight."

"Well, Gabriella, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable --" began Troy, but Sharpay but across him.

"Save the lovey-dovey perfect boyfriend speech," she snapped. She turned and smiled at Gabriella. "Don't worry, Taylor and I will make you _hot_."

Taylor looked slightly sympathetic. "If you _really_ feel uncomfortable, you won't have to drink or anything --"

Chad rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay. Go to a party and don't drink."

Gabriella frowned.

"Don't worry, Gabriella," repeated Sharpay. "Once we're through with you, you'll feel like a million bucks. Come on, let's go!" Sharpay grabbed Gabriella's hand and started pulling her out of the den.

"Where are we going?" asked Gabriella nervously.

"To my house," said Sharpay bossily. "Your clothes are cute, Gabriella, but not for a party. No, we need to go to _my_ closet for that."

"Oooh, maybe I can find something, too!" said Taylor eagerly, following her friends out the door.

"Wear something revealing!" Chad called after them.

* * *

"Why can't I look for clothes myself?" whined Gabriella from her position on Sharpay's bed. Sharpay and Taylor were inside the former's closet – not so much a closet as a second room – and were throwing discarded articles of clothing out of the closet and onto the floor as they searched for an outfit for Gabriella. 

"Because you'll end up picking a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt," Sharpay answered. She stepped out of her closet and admired a shirt. "This is cute."

Gabriella stood up and snatched it out of her hands. "Are you kidding me?" she asked, horrified. "This is a nipple shirt."

"A nipple shirt?" Sharpay reiterated.

Gabriella shook it in her face. "This is just a piece of fabric! It only covers my boobs!"

"Fine, fine," said Sharpay exasperatedly, tossing the shirt into the pile. She entered her closet again and Gabriella sat on the floor.

"Ooh, I like this," said Taylor, stepping out the closet. She was holding a baby-blue, strapless corset top. There was black lace on the trim and in vertical lines down the shirt.

"I don't --" Gabriella started immediately, but Sharpay squealed.

"Oh, it's _perfect_!" she cried happily. "And these will go great with them!" She held up a pair of leather, skinny jeans.

"You've got to be joking," said Gabriella, staring at the ensemble in front of her. "Leather pants? In August, no less?"

"They'd look so hot on you!" said Sharpay, ignoring her comments.

"And how do I wear a bra with that?" Gabriella asked, pointing to the tube top.

"You don't," said Taylor.

Gabriella gaped.

"Oh, and these shoes will be awesome!" called Sharpay from inside the closet. She emerged, holding a pair of knee-high leather boots that were the exact same shade as the pants. It looked as if they'd had been made for each other.

She bit her lip. "Oh, I don't know --"

"I hope you're wearing a thong, Gabriella," said Sharpay, laying the clothes and shoes on her bed. "Because I don't really want you to have to borrow my underwear too."

Gabriella flushed. "Even though it's none of your business, I _am_."

"Great!" Sharpay took her hand and led her over to her vanity, Taylor following. "Now – hair and make-up time."

* * *

Troy, Jason, Zeke, Ryan, and Chad had done all the preparations they needed for the party – plugged in Troy's iPod and brought out the alcohol. They were now sitting, quite bored, in front of the television. 

"How much longer?" asked Troy boredly.

Chad checked his phone. "Three and a half hours."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Sharpay and Taylor were standing back and admiring their handiwork. Gabriella's usual curly hair has been flat-ironed. It was deliberately messy and in her face, and combined with her smokey eye makeup, made her look a lot older and, basically, like a badass. A hot badass. 

"Wow," said Gabriella, touching her hair. Despite its disheveled appearance, her hair was rather smooth. "It looks... good."

Sharpay and Taylor nodded in approval. "It was tough, but we got it done," said Taylor.

Sharpay checked her Sidekick. "Oh, my God, it's already seven-thirty!" she shrieked.

"What!?" cried Taylor.

"Gabriella, get dressed now!" ordered Sharpay, and Gabriella took her clothes from off Sharpay's bed. "Hurry, Taylor, we gotta get ourselves ready now." She glared at Gabriella, as if she had wanted them to turn her into some kind of sex kitten, and then dragged Taylor into the closet. Gabriella entered Sharpay's adjoining bathroom, trying to calculate in her head the amount of time it would take her to squeeze into the pants.

* * *

After four hours of watching Lizzie McGuire, the boys came to an agreement that Gordo and Lizzie should just get together already. 

"Okay, so the party starts in half an hour," said Ryan, as an episode came to an end. "Is there anything we need to do? Like, put out food or something?"

Chad laughed. "After the first half hour most people will be too drunk to care about the food."

"That reminds me," said Troy, and he left the den for a few moments. "Had to lock the front door." He also locked the den door. "No one is allowed any farther in the house than this room," he instructed.

"You locked it from the inside," Ryan pointed out.

"Well, people will be too drunk to realize that," said Troy.

"Ah."

The back door opened and Sharpay, Taylor, and Gabriella walked in – looking totally hot. Sharpay was wearing the tiniest denim skirt in existence, and a pair of white leather thigh-high boots. She had on a red spaghetti-strapped halter top that was very low cut. Her hair was curled to perfection and she smirked confidently at the boys. Taylor was wearing a dark blue, plaid minidress that cut halfway up her thigh, and a pair of peep-toe black heels that were about four inches high. Her hair was stick straight and reached down to her mid-back.

Gabriella stood near them, shifting uncomfortably in her skin-tight leather pants and corset top. The shirt cut right where the pants began, so if she were to raise her arms, her stomach would be visible. The heels were higher than any she'd ever worn before, and her feet were already starting to throb.

"Wow," said Chad, staring at Sharpay.

"Gabriella," gaped Troy, looking his girlfriend up and down.

Taylor looked a little uneasy herself. "This dress is kinda short, Sharpay," she complained.

"Ugh, suck it up," said Sharpay, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "It'll get you attention."

"What are you staring?" asked Taylor of Chad.

"Nothing," said Chad quickly, turning to look at Taylor. "You look fucking hot."

She blushed.

Gabriella hobbled over to Troy. "I can barely move in this," she muttered, picking at the pants.

Troy reached down and put his hand on her lower back. "It's sexy, though." He grinned, and she smiled back. "Now, I know that Sharpay keeps telling you to drink and stuff," he said, "but I don't want you to be uncomfortable, so if you don't want to, you don't have to."

"Well, aren't you just perfect," Gabriella mocked, but Troy was serious.

"No, really. I don't want you to do anything you'll regret."

"I can take of myself," she reminded him. "I've never given in to peer pressure before, so you don't have to worry." She kissed him on the mouth.

"BOLTON, WHERE DO WE PUT THE KEG?!" someone yelled from outside.

"It's show time." Troy winked at Gabriella and hurried outside, yelling, "My man! Hey, put it right over here --"

Gabriella wobbled over to Taylor. "So what exactly do you do at parties?" she asked timidly.

"Just mingle," Taylor told her, subconsciously pulling down her dress. "Talk to people. Drink. Do whatever."

After an hour, Troy's house was packed. The den was full of people, and a couple seniors were working the bar. Troy's spacious backyard was also filled to the boiling point. A couple people who were already really drunk had jumped into his pool, fully clothed, and a guy was doing a keg stand. The iPod had been moved into the backyard and was blasting a Baby Bash song, while the stereo in the den was playing some other rap song. Gabriella stood awkwardly near the back door.

"AND I'M GONNA MISS YOU LIKE A CHILD MISSES THEIR BLANKET!" Gabriella curiously looked around at the sound of the overplayed Fergie song, and was surprised to see that it was Ryan doing the singing. He had a beer in his hand and was already very wasted, stumbling through the horde of people. As fast as lightning, he switched songs. "YOU'RE WAY TOO BEYOOOOTIFUL, GIRL!" he sang, quite off-key.

Gabriella felt oddly left out as everyone partied and drank with each other, while she stood near the door, not participating in the fun. Maybe Sharpay was right; maybe she _was_ a prude. It wouldn't hurt for her to have a drink, would it? She could simply hold a beer in her hand and, if she didn't like it, pretend she was drinking it.

She walked into the den and strode purposefully over to the bar. During her journey, a guy slapped her ass. Only earlier that afternoon, Gabriella would've been horrified at such an action and probably even a little guilty to Troy, but instead she felt empowered. People were whistling as she walked by. People thought she looked _hot_. Not cute, but hot. That had never happened before. She felt her hips starting to sway from side to side as she walked, in an imitation of Sharpay.

Once at the bar, she requested, "A Corona, please," feeling grown-up. The senior winked as he handed her the cold beverage, the bottle cap already off. She turned away and took a chug from the bottle, and the liquid burned as it went down her throat. She made a face after she swallowed and winced, but despite the bitter taste, she felt like she wanted more. She took another drink, and it didn't taste as bad the second time.

She walked back outside, holding the cold beer in her hand. Her feet and legs were numb from the clothes she was wearing, so they no longer were bothering her. She took a third drink from the bottle, and it continued to taste better.

* * *

Two hours and who knew how many beers later, Gabriella was completely out of it. Her small frame had allowed the alcohol to take over her mind faster than it would on a bigger person, and she was stumbling around the backyard, bumping into people she didn't recognize. 

Clutching another beer in her hand, she ran into someone. "Oops, sorry," she slurred, bringing a hand up to her head.

"Gabriella?" said the girl she'd bumped into, and Gabriella blinked a couple times to get her vision in focus. Sharpay was standing before her, holding a red plastic cup. "Oh, my God, you're drunk!" she said excitedly.

"Am I?" said Gabriella groggily, swaying.

Sharpay frowned slightly. "You're _really_ drunk. How many beers have you had?" she asked, eyeing the one in Gabriella's hand.

"Uuuh... I dunno."

Gabriella giggled drunkenly and Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Come on." She took her hand and led her across the yard.

"Oooh, look, a pool!" said Gabriella in awe, pointing. She broke away from Sharpay and approached Troy's pool.

"Don't you dare," said Sharpay dangerously. "You're wearing leather! MY leather!"

Gabriella ignored her. "I'm so hot," she sighed, and before Sharpay could utter a word, Gabriella jumped in.

Sharpay shrieked as she watched her leather pants and boots ruin. Gabriella broke over the surface, her heavy makeup running down her face. "I'm still hot, Sharpay!" she whined loudly, like a child.

"It's because of the leather!" groaned Sharpay, stomping over to the edge of the pool. "Wet leather is even more uncomfortable than dry leather, obviously. Now get out of the damn pool!"

Gabriella dizzily stepped out and sat down on the cement. She unzipped the boots and tugged them off her feet, tossing them aside. She wriggled uncomfortably in the pants. "Sharpayyyy," she pouted. "I don't like these."

"Good God," groaned the blonde. She heaved Gabriella up and helped her walk across the yard, pushing through the sweaty crowd of dancing, drunk teenagers. Sharpay guided her through the den and into the main hallway, shutting the door behind her. The door seemed to be sound proof – as soon as it was closed, the sound from the party seemed to be reduced to almost nothing. Sharpay helped Gabriella up the stairs and into Troy's bedroom, laying her on the bed. She entered Troy's bathroom and found a towel, using it to dry Gabriella's body and hair the best she could.

"Ugh, I hope I don't accidently find his whitie-tighties," she murmured, opening a drawer at random. In the third drawer that she tried, she found what she was looking for. Troy's gym clothes were inside, and Sharpay dug out the smallest pair of sweats and T-shirt she could find. Gabriella was half-asleep by this point, but Sharpay shook her awake. "Come on, Gabriella, can you change into this?" Gabriella's head nodded limply and her eyes were half-open. "How did I get stuck with this job?" asked Sharpay of no one in particular, before unzipping Gabriella's shirt and pulling it over her head. She pulled the East High T-shirt over her head and pulled her arms through the arm holes.

Then she blinked at the pants.

"Oh shit."

She laid Gabriella down flat on the bed, unzipped the fly of the pants, and started the long process of prying them off. "If anyone walks in..." she trailed off, gritting her teeth and yanking the pants off. After about ten minutes they were finally detached from Gabriella's body, and Sharpay had to support Gabriella standing up and pull the big sweats onto her slim frame.

"Whew." She stood up and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She laid Gabriella on her side on the bed and covered her with a blanket of Troy's folded neatly at the edge of his bed. She sadly placed her ruined leather jeans on Troy's dresser, before slipping out of the room and back to the party.

Sharpay took a long gulp of her beer, stepping back into the cool night air. It was midnight and she'd already been stuck dressing and putting to bed a drunk girl. She needed a stronger drink.

She approached the bar and sad, "Give me a shot of tequila."

The guy working the bar slapped a small glass of tequila in front of her, and she downed it in a matter of seconds. She coughed from the strength, but asked for another.

"Enjoying yourself?" slurred Chad.

"Oh yeah," said Sharpay, downing another shot. "I've had the honor of undressing Gabriella because she's already drunk out of her mind. And I'm probably gonna have to check on her every once and a while to make sure she doesn't throw up and choke on it or something."

"You undressed Gabriella?" asked Chad, only part of what she said registering in his brain. "That's hot."

"It wasn't exactly a steamy lesbian experience," said Sharpay, grabbing a beer instead of more tequila.

"You look hot tonight, Sharpay," said Chad, looking her up and down.

Sharpay laughed. "Oh, I know." She put a hand on Chad's shoulder. "But I think you're confusing me with your girlfriend. Speaking of, tequila makes me horny. Excuse me."

She bustled off to find Zeke, and bumped into Troy on the way. "Sharpay, have you seen Gabriella?" He was holding a half-empty beer, but didn't seem too buzzed.

"She's in your room," Sharpay informed him. "She's wasted." She walked away from him, pushing through the crowd for Zeke. Troy looked up to the ceiling, as if hoping he could see Gabriella through the walls, before exiting the den and jogging up to his room.

He opened the door quietly and saw Gabriella cuddled up on his bed, an old quilt of his wrapped around her body. He slowly walked over to her and sat down at the edge of the bed, running a hand over her temple, which was coated in cold sweat. She was shivering, even though the room was hot. He peeled her still wet hair from her neck and fanned it out to cool her down.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Hey," said Troy quietly, but before she could say anything, she threw up all over him.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and early. The sky was a very clear blue, and the city of Albuquerque looked gorgeous in the sunrise light. Most residents were still sleeping, as it was Saturday. 

Troy Bolton's house was no exception. There were a few teenagers passed out in his yard and a couple in his den. Troy Bolton himself was in his bedroom, wearing different clothes than the night before due to being puked on. Said girl who puked was lying on his bed next to him, her head on his chest and a bucket next to the bed.

Chad was passed out on Troy's couch, an empty bottle dangling from his hand, and Taylor had fallen asleep on the armchair. Jason and Ryan has passed out outside on Troy's lawn, and a freshman boy whom none of them knew but had gotten a little wild at the party the night before and ended up streaking by midnight, was just waking up and, upon seeing himself naked, grabbed the nearest towel and tore out of the backyard. Sharpay and Zeke were nowhere to be seen – no doubt they'd left early for some lovin' back at Sharpay's house.

Gabriella was the first to wake up. At around nine o' clock she roused. Momentarily forgetting the night before, she looked curiously around at the unfamiliar room. She looked down and saw herself wrapped in Troy's arms and wearing his clothes. She shrieked.

Troy jumped and was awoken so violently that he fell off the bed. The impact of his head connecting with the ground did not help his hangover. He groaned as he rubbed the back of it, sitting up to see Gabriella cowering near the wall.

"What the hell?"

"Oh, my God, did I _sleep with you_?" she whispered lowly.

Troy rolled his eyes. "No." He clambered back onto the bed and laid down.

"Oh. Then what happened? I don't remember anything." She frowned. "Why am I in your clothes?"

"Well, I think Sharpay had something to do with that," said Troy, his eyes closed. "She told me she brought you up here because you were pretty drunk. When I got here, you threw up."

Her eyes widened in horror. "_I_ _threw up on you_?" she gasped.

He chuckled. "Yeah you did. So I brought you into the bathroom and was nice enough to hold your hair back while you hacked into the toilet, with throw up still on my clothes." He sat up slightly and opened his eyes. "When you finally finished you fell back asleep and I put you on my bed, changed, and fell asleep next to you."

"Aw, how cute are we?" teased Gabriella, climbing back onto the bed next to him. She cuddled next to him and said, "Thanks for not dumping my ass after throwing up on you."

"Oh I'm dumping you," said Troy matter-of-factly. "I just haven't gotten around to doing it yet."

She shoved him. "Shut up."

"I really am a great guy, aren't I?" said Troy, flipping his hair out of his eyes.

Before Gabriella could respond, a familiar voice boomed from downstairs.

"Troy? You up?" Jack Bolton called from downstairs. "We got an earlier flight!"

Troy paled. "Oh shit."

* * *

A few hours Troy sat alone in the den, flipping through the channels of the TV for something to watch. The door opened and Gabriella walked in, her hair back to its normal wave and wearing her conservative clothes again. 

"Hey," said Troy. "So how much trouble are you in?"

Gabriella sat down next to him and cuddled up close to him. "None."

Troy blinked. "Really?"

She shrugged. "My mom just said that she was disappointed in me and hoped that I wouldn't do it again. But I'm not, like, grounded."

"Damn."

"Well, what about you?"

"My dad yelled for about a half an hour and I just finished cleaning up everything." Troy sighed. "I have to pay out of my own pocket all the alcohol that we used last night, so I'm probably going to be in debt for a few years. Surprisingly, though, I'm not in that much trouble. I personally think that he was so drained after staying out of town with my grandmother for two nights that he didn't have enough energy to ground me."

Gabriella giggled.

"So if my dad called your mom, then he --"

"Oh, he didn't call my mom, I told my mom," confessed Gabriella. "I felt bad."

Troy blinked. "Wow. That's very, uh, noble of you."

Gabriella laughed. "Yeah, I did it for the nobility."

"Hey, you want a beer?" asked Troy, grinning.

She made a face. "I think I'll take a break from alcohol for a while."

"How much did you drink?"

"I don't even know."

The back door opened and Chad walked in with Taylor, Jason, and Ryan.

"Did my dad call your parents?"

"Nope, we're all in the clear!" grinned Chad. "We all just said we spent the night here."

"Or, in my case, at Gabriella's," Taylor said.

"Where are Sharpay and Zeke?" asked Gabriella.

"Still in Shar's room." Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Well, we all got off lucky this time," said Troy. "Except me, but I'm just grounded for a week and that doesn't matter because everyone just barges in here anyway."

"Take is as a compliment," said Ryan, sitting down in a chair.

"So who wants a beer?" asked Chad, and everyone groaned.

* * *

**AN:** Have I mentioned yet how much I _hate_ ending chapters? 

**UP NEXT:**

One game of "I Never" reveals some surprising secrets.


	6. Getting To Know You

**AN:** Thanks, again, for all the reviews. I love getting them as much as the next person. Now this chapter... eh, not my favorite or my best. But it does show different sides to some of the characters and kinda reveals stuff about them. So it's needed.

Random bit of info: I wrote chapter 36 for this story and it's TWENTY-ONE pages long. I have no idea how I wrote a single chapter that long... but oh well. Can't wait for that one.

The chapter title comes from the musical _The King and I_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Getting To Know You_

"I live for Saturdays," said Chad in greeting as he entered the den. He plopped onto the love seat next to Taylor and asked, "What are we watching?"

"Some Disney Channel show," responded Taylor.

"Corey in the House," supplied Gabriella.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Let's do something worthwhile."

"Man, do we _ever_ do something worthwhile?" asked Troy. "Really, all we do is sit around and watch TV and occasionally we'll practice basketball." He looked around. "Nothing interesting ever happens here."

"Oh, except when Sharpay had to change Gabriella's clothes are your party last week," smirked Chad, and Gabriella blushed.

"If only there'd been an audience," commented Jason.

"And there's the time where we saw you girls topless," added Chad.

"Um, why does everything interesting include me in some embarrassing situation?" asked Gabriella.

"Well, you're the only one who thinks of them as embarrassing," Zeke said.

"I beg to differ," Sharpay cut in. "The whole dressing her thing was embarrassing for me too."

"All I'm saying is today, we should do more than just sit around and watch TV," said Troy.

"What do you wanna do, then?" asked Gabriella.

Sharpay's face immediately lit up. "I have an idea!"

She bustled over to the bar and bent down behind it so they couldn't see her. "Perfect! You have the ingredients for jell-o shots."

"You wanna have your only little mini-party?" asked Ryan.

"No, we should play 'I Never,'" she smirked.

There was a small pause as everyone considered her words. "You actually have a good idea, Sharpay," commented Chad.

"What's 'I Never?'" asked Gabriella curiously.

Sharpay sighed sadly. "Oh Gabriella, we still have so much work to do on you."

"'I Never' is a drinking game," Chad offered.

"Oh great, my favorite."

"What you do is one person will say, like, 'I've never kissed a guy' or something, and all the people who _have_ kissed a guy will take a drink," explained Taylor. "Sometimes the game is played with points."

"Oh I hate doing points," said Sharpay, making a face. "I just like to drink until the first person passes out. Then they're the loser... or winner... whatever." She started taking out various bottles of alcohol and a huge tray of shot glasses.

Gabriella frowned. "I'll quit before I pass out again."

Troy laughed. "Sorry Gabriella, but somehow I don't think you'll be the person to pass out first. Or second. Or at all."

Sharpay hopped in place in giddy excitement. "Oh this is going to be so much fun! I always love this game because someone always starts fighting during it."

"Why?" asked Gabriella.

"Because everybody spills their dirty secrets," she smirked.

"Don't worry, I'm sure _you_ won't get into a fight with anyone," said Troy sweetly. "It'll probably be Sharpay and Chad or something. And those are always enjoyable."

"Here we go," said Sharpay. She set a huge tray of around fifty shot glasses in the middle of the coffee table, and everyone moved to sit on the floor, in a circle around the table. "I may have to make more, depending on how daring this group is." She glanced around. "So probably not." She took her seat in between Zeke and Chad.

"Who wants to start?" asked Taylor.

"I will!" volunteered Sharpay excitedly. "Hmmm... let's see." She pondered. "Just to get the ball rolling... I have never kissed a girl."

Naturally, all five boys took a shot. But everyone stared when Gabriella took a glass and downed the drink.

"Gabriella, you know that you only take a drink when it's something you _have_ done?" said Troy.

Gabriella nodded, her face tomato red. "I know."

"OH, MY GOD. You've kissed a girl!?" exclaimed Sharpay. Gabriella nodded again, miserably.

"That's hot," said Jason, and the guys all nodded in agreement.

"Taylor, Gabriella has done something that neither of us has done!" said Sharpay dramatically. "I never thought this would happen!"

"Maybe we should make it true for everyone," said Chad. "Taylor, Sharpay, go for it."

Taylor shoved him. "Shut up."

"So when have you kissed a girl?" Sharpay suddenly frowned. "Oh, and you know we mean, like, full on girl-on-girl kiss? Not when your mom kisses you good-night."

"God, you guys should give me more credit," said Gabriella, rolling her eyes. "I know what you mean."

"So. DETAILS!"

Gabriella sighed. "It was back in San Diego. My best friend there spent the night and she wanted to know what it would be like to kiss a girl." She flushed. "It was the single most awkward moment of my entire life, and I didn't sleep that night because I was afraid she was going to molest me or something. Luckily I moved away two weeks later."

"Damn," said Troy.

"Okay, let's move on. Gabriella, go," ordered Sharpay.

"Um..." she pondered. "I guess... I've never had sex before?"

Sharpay and Zeke predictably took a shot, but so did Chad and – surprisingly – Ryan.

"You're not a virgin?" asked Taylor, glaring at Chad.

"Uh. No."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, we all knew Chad had done it except you, Taylor, get over it," said Sharpay quickly before rounding on her brother. "But YOU? When have YOU done it?"

Everyone leaned in interestedly.

"Remember that cruise to Barbados?" said Ryan.

Sharpay's mouth dropped open. "That was like two years ago." She gasped loudly. "Oh, my God, you did it two years before me? How is this possible?" She turned to everyone else. "Did any of you know about this?"

No one said anything. Zeke, who was next to Ryan, clapped him on the back and said, "Nice, Ryan here lost it before everyone else!"

"Don't change the subject!" snapped Taylor and turned to Chad. "You did it and never told me."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Taylor, it was a year ago with some drunk girl."

"So? I'm sure if Troy had done it he would've told Gabriella!"

"Who cares about that? Look, I'm not pressuring you into anything, am I?"

"Of course you're not. I'm saving myself."

Everyone looked around at her. "Saving yourself?" snorted Sharpay.

"Not for marriage!" said Taylor defensively, heat rising in her cheeks. "Just for true love."

Sharpay let out a laugh. "Good luck with that. Go, Ryan."

"Hm, let's see," said Ryan. "Uh, I've never done it at school."

There was a short pause before Zeke and Sharpay, blushing slightly, took a drink.

"Sharpay, you slut!" cried Taylor.

"Shut up." Sharpay glared at her.

"When?" asked Gabriella.

"Um..." Sharpay and Zeke glanced at each other. "Last Friday, and Tuesday, and Thursday, and Friday again."

"Oh shit. You _are_ a slut," said Gabriella.

Sharpay narrowed her eyes. "Just because I'm not a prude doesn't make me a slut."

"I'm not a prude!"

"You're a virgin!"

"Well, at least I'm not saving myself for anything!"

Taylor glared.

"Then why haven't you done it yet?"

"Ladies, ladies," Chad cut in. "As much as I would love for this fight to escalate into you two wrestling with each other, I --" He paused. "What am I saying? Go for it."

Sharpay slapped Chad. "Shut up, jackass. Can someone just go now?"

"I'll go," said Zeke. "I've never hooked up with a cheerleader."

Chad, Jason, and Troy all took a shot.

Gabriella hit her boyfriend. "Oh, my God. Who?"

Troy blinked. "What?"

"What cheerleader have you hooked up with?"

"Why?"

"Tell me, Troy, Goddamnit."

"See, I told you this game starts fights!" said Sharpay loudly. "There's been, like, three already!"

"Fine. It's Shelley. Happy? I didn't even know you then."

Gabriella glared at him. "You still could've told me."

"You would've gotten pissed anyway!"

"But not as pissed as I am now!"

"Someone just go," snapped Sharpay.

"I've never had someone other than a family member walk in on me changing," said Taylor, and only Sharpay took a drink.

She looked darkly at Troy and said, "Your dad."

Chad snorted. "Coach Bolton walked in on you changing!?"

Sharpay looked sick. "Yes. After one of the rehearsals for the winter musical, I was changing into a pair of jeans because it was cold, and he just barged in, looking for Troy." She turned red. "He saw me standing there in a T-shirt and thong."

Gabriella giggled uncontrollably, and stuck her fist in her mouth to stifle the laughs. "That's why you never stay in the room when he comes in."

"I'm scarred," she sighed. "Go Troy."

Troy bit the inside of his cheek as he thought. "I... uh... don't have a tattoo?" he said lamely.

There was a short pause, and then Jason took a drink.

"Dude!" exclaimed Chad. "You have a tat?"

Jason nodded.

"When did you get it?" asked Zeke curiously.

"Why didn't you tell anybody?" Ryan questioned.

"A couple weeks ago. And it's no big deal."

"Why get a tattoo and then never show anyone?" inquired Chad.

"Show us!" urged Taylor.

Jason sighed. "Fine." He stood up, turned around, and pulled down his pants. On his lower back was a dark sketch of a fish jumping into the crack of his ass.

Silence.

"What the fuck!?"

"How the hell did you come up with _that_?"

Gabriella was lying on her back, clutching her stomach as she laughed.

Jason blushed and pulled his pants back up. "I'm creative."

"You're an dumbass!" giggled Sharpay, a grin on her face.

The teasing lasted for a few more moments until Zeke passed out. It turned out he'd been taking shots when the others weren't looking, and he finally reached his breaking point. Zeke was deemed the winner/loser, even if he'd cheated, and they ended the game. Zeke was placed on the couch while Sharpay washed out the shot glasses to clear the evidence.

"I can't believe you're not a virgin," Taylor and Sharpay said to Chad and Ryan, respectively.

"I can't believe you've made out with Shelley," grumbled Gabriella.

"I can't believe you've done it at school," said Taylor to Sharpay.

"I can't believe you have a tattoo on your ass!"

* * *

Later that day, when everyone but Gabriella had left Troy's house, the two were sitting on the couch next to each other, but there was some visible tension. Gabriella was not leaning into him the way she normally did, and Troy kept glancing nervously at her as they watched The Hot Chick. Finally, he said, "Are you still mad at me?" 

"Oh, no, I'm perfectly happy with you," she responded.

Troy paused. "Wait, are you being sarcastic? Because I never know --"

"_Yes_, I'm being sarcastic," snapped Gabriella. "You can't just make out with a girl and get away with it."

"Gabriella," said Troy slowly. "It. Was. A. Year. Ago."

"Liar."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Why are you being like this? Does it _really_ matter?"

"No, it doesn't matter, I'm mad for no reason."

"Please stop being --"

"It's a big deal," she interrupted, "because you're supposed to tell me everything. I tell you everything, like about past relationships. But this little make out session just _happened_ to slip your mind?"

Troy eyed her. "So you've told me _everything_ about you, right? Like every guy you've ever kissed?"

Gabriella hesitated for a split second. "Yes."

"Liar."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!" said Gabriella again before getting up and running into the main household. Troy raised his eyebrows but shot after her. He hustled through the hallway and saw that she was in the living room next to Lila. "Lila, Troy kissed a girl but didn't tell me about it!" she said in a rush.

"Gabriella, what the --"

"You schmuck!" crowed Lila, walking over to Troy and hitting him on the shoulder.

"Grandma --"

"You cheated on your girlfriend – although I could understand with this one here. Please tell me it was the blonde?"

Gabriella frowned. "He didn't cheat on me," she said defensively.

Lila turned back to her. "But you said he kissed another girl?"

"Well... before we met."

Lila blinked at her. "You are a shande," she said bluntly before leaving the room and heading upstairs.

"What did she call me?" asked Gabriella tentatively.

"A disgrace."

"... yeah, well."

"Gabriella, what the hell is your problem?" asked Troy, annoyed. "Why are you acting like this?"

She sighed and gave a half-shrug. "I don't know. It's just..." She stopped. "Forget it."

"No, tell me."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No."

"JUST TELL ME!" he yelled, and she smirked.

"Fine, since you asked so lovingly."

"Gabriella."

"Ugh!" She sat down on Troy's living room couch. "I feel like one of those girls that tries to make everyone feel bad for her."

"Huh?"

She rolled her eyes, embarrassed. "I just – I feel threatened, I guess."

"What?"

"Try and keep up with me," she said slowly. "You know, you're my first boyfriend and no guy had ever looked at me before you. Even though we've been going out for so long, I still feel like I'm not good enough and that one day you're gonna wake up and realize who you're wasting your time with."

Troy blinked. "You're an idiot."

She gasped. "Oh, my God, did I just, like, make you realize it?" She looked genuinely worried.

He stared. "No. You're an idiot for even thinking it."

"Oh, no, are you gonna give the 'I'm not too good for you, you're too good for me' speech?"

"No, of course not. Because I _am_ too good for you. But I put up with you anyway."

She giggled and pushed him. "Freak."

"But seriously, Gabriella. Don't think like that. When you're insecure, you become annoying."

She rolled her eyes. "Wow, thanks."

"Come on. When you're bugging me about some girl I made out with – no strings attached, might I add – and actually go to my _grandmother_ about it to try and prove your point, well..."

Gabriella scowled. "Yeah, I guess. Well, I'm sorry."

"And I'm sorry I never told you." He leaned in and kissed her on the mouth. When he pulled away, she gave him a small smile. "Oh, and I know you were lying when you said you told me about every guy you kissed."

"I was not!" she said defiantly.

"I know you're lying."

"Oh yeah?" She folded her arms. "How so, Mr. Bolton?"

"When you lie, your eye twitches."

Gabriella's hands instinctively flew up to her face. "No it doesn't!"

Troy laughed. "Oh, it so does."

She blushed deep red and dropped her hands. "So what?"

"Your eye twitched when you said you told me everyone you kissed."

She glared at him. "Yeah, but it's different. You don't _know_ the guys I've kissed."

"You don't know Shelley."

"I know of her."

"If you tell me these guys' names, I'd know of them too."

"Fine, fine." She sighed. "This guy, Mark. I kissed him because someone dared me too. That was it."

"That's cool."

"Oh, I'm sure you're just pretending to be cool about it so I don't get mad, right?"

He shrugged. "No, really, I don't care."

"Seriously."

"I'm serious."

She crossed her arms. "What if I called him? Would you get jealous?"

"Are you _trying_ to make me jealous?"

"No. But you always seem to get mad when Chad or Ryan make comments about me."

"Well, yeah, because they, like, live here. In the same, state, you know. Same time zone. Besides, you told me that no guy has ever liked you before, so I have nothing to worry about, right?"

"Troy!"

He laughed. "Gabriella, you know that I'm a little jealous. If he went to our school, though, maybe I'd be a little more jealous. But I'm not _mad_ at you. It's hard to believe, but I know you had romantic interests before me." He grinned. "Although in hindsight, they all pale in comparison to myself."

She pushed him. "You're totally conceited."

"So we're cool?" asked Troy.

She smiled. "Yeah, we're cool." She snuggled up to him.

Troy put his arm around her and laughed. "So you ready to do it?"

"No."

"Well, it was worth a shot."

Lila poked her head in and glared at Gabriella, mumbling under her breath about a "Vilda chaya" before leaving as soon as she'd come. Gabriella glanced at Troy and said, "Now what did she call me?"

"Um. You don't wanna know."

* * *

**AN:** What'd you think? 

Also, vilda chaya means impolite child.

**UP NEXT:**

The auditions for "Hairspray" have arrived, and not everyone is happy with their parts.


	7. Do You Hear The People Sing?

**AN:** I have never been in a musical before, so I really don't know anything about... anything. But I tried my best. Thanks, again, for the reviews!

The chapter title comes from the musical _Les Miserables_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Do You Hear The People Sing?_

"Great news!" said Sharpay happily as she entered the den with Ryan and Kelsi in tow. "Hairspray auditions are tomorrow."

"Great," said Chad sarcastically as he concentrated on his pool game.

"Oh great!" said Gabriella enthusiastically, clapping her hands. "I'm trying out for Penny."

Sharpay flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I've decided to allow myself to step back from the lead role and audition for Amber. She's got a lot of solo's. But not as many as Tracy... lucky bitch Martha..."

"Ryan, are you trying out?" asked Gabriella.

He nodded. "For Link."

"Ooh, Troy too!"

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Troy stared him down. "Yup."

The two seemed to have a staring contest for a while until Gabriella sighed irritably and rolled her eyes. "Is anyone else auditioning?"

No one said anything.

"Well, _that's_ going to change." She turned to Chad. "You would be a great Seaweed."

He snorted. "Seaweed? I don't think so."

"Oh come on! His part is mostly dancing."

"I don't dace."

"Haven't we been through this already?" said Ryan aloud.

"You _can_ dance," said Gabriella. She pouted. "Please?"

Chad signed. "Maybe. If Jason and Taylor do it."

Gabriella rounded on them. "Don't worry, I'll get them to do it."

"Gabriella, what part could I possibly get in Hairspray?" asked Taylor.

"Maybelle."

"Who's that?"

"She's a really prominent female figure in the play. All about equal rights." Gabriella nodded approvingly. "She's probably one of the most powerful female characters in the entire production. Maybe even in all of theatre period."

Taylor thought that over for a moment. "Well, I guess she'd be cool to play."

"And Jason can be Link!"

"Gabriella, I don't need _another_ person against me for this part!" complained Troy.

"Oh, stop," she snapped. She turned back to Jason and beamed. "Please, Jason? It will be so much fun if we're all in it."

Jason fidgeted. "I can't sing, Gabriella."

"Oh, yes you can!" said Kelsi excitedly. "I've heard you. You're _amazing_!"

Jason tinged red. "Well, I guess I could..." He trailed off, smiling bashfully.

"When are these auditions?" asked Zeke.

"Tomorrow during free period. You're coming," ordered Sharpay.

"I can't!" said Zeke. "I have that baking competition to prepare for. The one I told you about?"

Sharpay pouted. "Oh, but Zeke!" she whined, placing herself on his lap. "You would be a much better Seaweed than Chad."

"I wish I could, Shar, but I have to go to this meeting," said Zeke, and Sharpay scowled.

"Fine!"

Gabriella turned to Kelsi. "Now we just have you left."

Kelsi's eyes widened. "I – I don't know if I should --"

"Kelsi, if I go, you go," said Jason. "Come on!"

"Yeah, you have a great voice!" persuaded Gabriella. "Remember during the talent show?"

She frowned. "Well... I guess Penny would be a fun role..."

"Penny?" repeated Gabriella. "No, you should play, uh, Amber."

Kelsi furrowed her brow. "Why Amber?"

"Because Gabriella doesn't like competition!" said Sharpay.

"No!" flushed Gabriella. "I – I just --" She sighed, defeated. "Never mind. Audition for Penny." She turned back to Chad. "So, we're all doing it. And don't try to make an excuse because we know you don't do anything during free period."

"Why do you want us to even do this?" he asked.

"Because it's our senior year!" she cried. "We're supposed to just be together and have fun. Everything goes in senior year. Wouldn't all of us starring in the musical together just be awesome?"

"Chad, just do it," said Sharpay.

Chad sighed. "Whatever. I guess so."

Gabriella squealed. "Yay!"

"Okay, so Ms. Darbus wanted us to tell you that all the guys have to sing one song, and all the girls another," explained Ryan, taking a bunch of sheet music from his bag.

"Wait, we all only sing one song?" reiterated Chad.

Ryan nodded. "Yeah. It's not like you're auditioning for a certain part. You sing, and then Ms. Darbus will place us in the role she thinks we're most suited for." He paused. "Well, she said she'll confide in Mrs. Buchanan, but we all know she won't really listen to her."

Chad rounded on Gabriella. "So what if I don't get this Seaweed character and instead some fruit?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "If you don't get Seaweed, then you'll end up being a background dancer. Or you won't get cast. Seaweed is the only main black guy."

"So even though I'm trying to get the part of Link, I'm not really trying out for him?" repeated Jason slowly, and Ryan nodded again.

"Here's the music you have to practice," said Ryan, handing out the music. "The guys have to sing 'It Takes Two' and the girls have 'Good Morning Baltimore.' Oh, and there are no callbacks this year."

"Why not?" commented Gabriella, glancing over the sheet music.

"Ms. Darbus wants rehearsals to start earlier, so she's just going to hear everyone sing and place them accordingly." He shrugged. "I have no idea why."

"How come there are no dancing auditions?" asked Taylor. "This school is dumb. It's a musical; aren't they supposed to see if we can dance?"

Sharpay smirked. "Well, when Ryan and I would audition, we would dance. Which is why I don't understand why Troy and Gabriella got cast in Twinkle Town. All they did was stand there, spin occasionally, and make googly-eyes at each other."

Chad flipped through the sheet music, and stated laughing. "'And Liz, well, she has her dick,'" he read, and laughed again. "I wish I was white just so I could play Link and get to sing that line."

* * *

"Good morning, Baltimore..." sang Sharpay in a whisper during the beginning of Homeroom. "Everyday's like an open door..." She sighed loudly. "This is like torture, singing the lead's song but not having a chance of getting the part."

Chad ignored her. "Hey Bolton, did you know that if I get Seaweed and Gabriella gets Penny, we'll have to make out? Like, multiple times each show?"

Gabriella blushed and Troy bopped Chad in the arm. "Hey. Shut up."

Chad shrugged. "Just wanted to give you a heads up."

Mrs. Buchanan and her picture-perfect self stepped in front of the classroom after the final bell rang. She flashed her white teeth and said, "As many of you may know, the auditions for Hairspray are today during free period. I hope to see you all there, exhibiting your singing talents!" She clapped her hands gleefully. "I hear you five in the back will be trying out?" She pointed towards Gabriella, Sharpay, Troy, Chad, and Jason.

A few snickers rang out. "Chad and Jason are trying out?" said someone loudly, and they snickered again.

"Hey, Troy isn't the only one who can sing!" snapped Chad defensively.

"Ah, Mr. Danforth, I'm anxious to see your audition," said Mrs. Buchanan. "I've never known such a class goofball to be an aspiring actor!" She laughed at her words.

"I'm not an aspiring actor," said Chad blankly. "I'm doing this because she told me to." He pointed at Gabriella.

"I'm auditioning too, Mrs. Buchanan!" Sharpay's hand shot up, in a last desperate attempt to become one of her favorites. "I'm gonna play Amber!"

"Amber is a challenging role," said Mrs. Buchanan. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

Sharpay flushed. "_Yes_," she shot back.

Mrs. Buchanan shrugged. "Well, if you're sure."

* * *

First and second period dragged by slowly until finally free period arrived. Troy, Gabriella, Taylor, Chad, Sharpay, Kelsi, Jason, and Ryan all met up by Gabriella's locker before going to the theatre, and they were all surprised at the huge outcome. Apparently, after Troy and Gabriella tried out for the winter musical, more people became interested in theatre and decided to audition as well. The theatre was half-filled, and Ms. Darbus was beside herself.

"Oh, here are my shining stars!" she cried as the eight friends approached the front. "You will all be going first because I have _you_ to thank for the popularity of my drama department!" Mrs. Buchanan was sitting in a seat next to Ms. Darbus's, looking very excited. It was clear she wasn't aware that Ms. Darbus was not planning on including her.

One by one, students went up to audition. Gabriella was first and she belted out a perfect rendition of "Good Morning Baltimore," and Ms. Darbus noted sadly that she wasn't big and could therefore not play the lead role. Darbus and Buchanan both took notes as Sharpay, Taylor, Kelsi, and then Martha all respectively took the stage to sing. Taylor and Kelsi had surprisingly good voices, but no one was surprised with Sharpay's and Martha's talents.

The boys went next, singing, "It Takes Two." Troy and Ryan sang it amazingly and left many people torn for who would get the part of Link. Jason has a surprisingly high-pitched singing voice, and Chad couldn't help but snap his fingers and do a little dance as he sang. His voice was low but powerful, and he left no doubt in anyone's mind that he would be cast.

After that, the gang hung around to watch the rest of the auditions. Most of them were merely okay singers, who would probably be cast as part of the chorus. A couple standouts was an African-American girl who was either a freshman or sophomore; she had a very powerful voice and mimicked Chad when it came to dancing in place as she sang. She put up some competition for Taylor, who squirmed as she performed. A boy named Allen had an above-average voice, but nothing compared to Troy and Ryan.

Unlike with the year prior, the auditions for Hairspray went right up until the bell. Ms. Darbus and Mrs. Buchanan gave a final round of applause to all the hopefuls and said that the cast list would be posted the next morning. The nine friends left the auditorium, talking animatedly about their thoughts.

"I think I did okay..." said Gabriella uneasily. "I think I got a note wrong during --"

"You did fine," interrupted Troy, an arm draped lazily around her shoulders. "Don't think about it too much."

Sharpay flipped her hair. "I know I did great," she announced. "If I don't get cast as Amber, it's anarchy."

"It's an anarchic world," commented Chad.

Sharpay pushed Chad and he was taken by such surprise that he fell to the ground in the middle of the crowded hallway. He got up and brushed himself off while people bumped him as they passed. He glared at Sharpay. "Taylor, kick Sharpay's ass."

"What?"

"Well, I can't do it."

"Stop being such a baby," said Sharpay snidely.

"Shar!" came a shout.

Sharpay turned around and saw Zeke running to them. "Zeke!" she squealed. When he reached her, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, as if they hadn't seen each other in weeks. Chad rolled his eyes. "How was your meeting?" she asked as they broke apart.

"It was good," said Zeke vaguely. "A lot of, you know, cooking."

"Did you make me anything?" she asked sweetly.

"Sorry, Shar, but we shared our food during the meeting and I have none left." He winked. "You know how good my stuff is."

"Oh, I do," she said seductively, biting her lip.

"I know you guys like to do it in school," interjected Taylor, "but can you at least make it to a bathroom stall or something? I don't think I could take it if you did it in the halls. Seeing you do it in Troy's backyard was bad enough."

"We don't do it in the bathroom, Taylor," said Sharpay exasperatedly.

"So where _do_ you do it?" questioned Gabriella.

"You do it at _school_!?" gasped Martha, horrified.

Ignoring Martha, Sharpay responded, "We do it, like, in the locker room. Or in the bleachers."

"Oh because _that's_ so much better," said Troy sarcastically.

"Well anyway, we can't do anything now," said Sharpay. "We have to get to third period. Let's go Taylor, Troy."

"Yeah, we should go too," said Ryan to Gabriella and Jason, and Troy frowned.

"I hate how all of you have classes with Gabriella and I don't," he pouted.

"Government is fun," Chad told him. "You know, the four of us have it with Gabriella and it just so happens that we all sit around her... you know, to protect her from all the other guys..."

"Shut up."

"What? I said we were protecting her."

* * *

There was very thick tension in the den later that night. Everyone was sitting in silence, with the excuse that Family Guy was on, but none of them were really paying attention. Even though some of them – like Jason and Chad – would never admit it, they were all nervously anticipating the arrival of the next morning, and the sight of the cast list. Only Zeke was immune to the tension, and was laughing along to the TV show as if nothing was wrong.

"I did okay, right?" asked Troy aloud. "I mean, I almost forgot the lines during part of it... do you think Darbus'll use that against me?"

"Stop worrying, Tori," snapped Chad.

"Well, you know, may the best man win, right?" said Ryan.

"Yeah, sure," said Troy distractedly.

"Well I, for one, will not be mad if you get the role of Penny," said Gabriella to Kelsi sincerely, and Sharpay snorted.

"Yeah, sure you won't."

"Sharpay, just because _you_ --"

"You know as well as I do that if you get cast as Hairspray Can number four and Kelsi here gets Penny, you will pissed," said Sharpay matter-of-factly.

Gabriella flushed. "Well – I --"

"If I don't get cast as Amber, there will be hell to pay," continued Sharpay, glaring around at every one of them as if challenging them to do so.

"Will you all just shut up?" said Chad.

Sharpay smirked. "Aw, Chad is tense."

"Am not."

"I can totally tell you are. That's how Ryan acts before the casting too."

"Do not!"

Sharpay smiled. "Point proven."

"Look guys, it doesn't matter _who_ we get cast as, as long as we're together it'll be great!" Gabriella said.

"I remember you saying that about summer," said Taylor.

"Well it all worked out. We had a great summer, didn't we?"

"Oh yeah," said Chad sarcastically. "Waiting on Sharpay was the best part. Oh, and I'm sure you loved it when Sharpay tried to steal Troy from you and you guys broke up for a few days."

"I meant after that."

"The waiting on Sharpay thing still stands."

"That was your least favorite? Funny, it was the best part of the summer for me."

Chad rolled his eyes. "You are such a bitch. Ryan didn't make us call him Mr. Evans."

"Don't call me a bitch!"

"Well you are one. A spoiled little bitch."

"Hey, Chad, shut up, man," cut in Zeke.

Chad fell silent but still glared at Sharpay every few seconds. Everyone else looked at each other awkwardly.

"Dram-aa," said Gabriella in a sing-song voice.

* * *

All nine of the potential theatre performers – minus Zeke – awoke early the next morning to view the cast list as early as possible. They didn't know the others were doing the same thing – until they ran into each other at the front steps.

They looked around at each other sheepishly.

"Okay, okay, so we all decided to come early, whatever," said Troy, breaking the ice. "Let's ignore the embarrassment and just go in and check the cast list."

"Just for the record, I only came early for Taylor --" began Chad.

"Liar, you didn't know I was coming early!" Taylor interrupted.

"Chad, get over it," said Sharpay. "So you came early, big deal. We all did. Grow a pair."

They group of friends stood awkwardly in the chilly seven A.M. air, waiting for someone to take charge. Troy and Gabriella finally did, linking hands and leading the other seven up the steps and through the front doors. The school was completely deserted, as no one, not even diehard school enthusiasts, arrived an hour early. They stood right inside the school, all staring at the cast list. It was posted on the bulletin board about twenty feet away from the entrance, far enough so that they couldn't read the names. After a few minutes, Gabriella grabbed Troy and pulled him after her as she approached the list.

They all were silent as their eyes roved back and forth over the names, slowly taking in the news. The silence was finally broken when Jason said, "Oh. My. God." After that, pandemonium ensued.

"Penny? _Penny_!?" shrieked Sharpay, using her finger to trace back and forth between the two names to double- and triple-check that no mistake was made. "Holy shit. _PENNY_!?"

Chad looked at her in disgust. "Oh no. No. You got Penny? YOU got Penny?"

Sharpay stared at him in horror. "I'm going to be sick." She whipped around to face Gabriella. "Please tell me you're Hairspray Can number four."

Gabriella grinned modestly. "Actually, I'm Amber."

Sharpay yelled in frustration. She walked over to the lockers near the bulletin board and leaned against them, sinking to the floor. "This is almost as bad as not being cast at all for Twinkle Towne."

"You're Amber?" repeated Troy, glancing at Gabriella.

She frowned. "Yeah, I'm not sure how that's gonna work out. Amber is exactly like Sharpay. Well, I guess I can just mimic her." She beamed at him. "Did you get Link!?"

He shook his head. "Corny Collins." He shrugged. "I forgot about Corny, but I'm glad I got him. I still get two solos."

Gabriella giggled. "Corny hates Amber." She turned to Kelsi and Taylor. "What about you guys?"

"Maybelle," said Taylor happily, and Kelsi fidgeted.

"I'm Velma." She sighed. "How am I going to play Velma!?" she exclaimed. "Velma's the worst character in the entire show, and I --"

"Oh, Kelsi, you got her because she's only in like two songs," snapped Sharpay from where she was on the ground.

"And you're in, what, three? And no solos?" smirked Chad.

"On top of that, I have to make out with you."

"... the hell," muttered Chad.

"Did you get Link, Ryan?" asked Gabriella.

Ryan nodded, grinning. "Yup!" He slung an arm around Martha's shoulders.

"And you're Tracy?"

Martha had a wide smile and she nodded her head up and down. "I'm so excited!"

"Shut up, bitch," murmured Sharpay.

Gabriella finally turned to Jason. "What about you?"

Jason didn't respond. He hadn't moved throughout the conversation, but was still staring at the cast list. His mouth was slightly open as he looked at it, eyes wide. Gabriella poked his arm, but he didn't move.

"Maybe he didn't get cast," said Chad lowly, but Jason still heard him.

"I got cast," he responded without looking at Chad.

The group was more puzzled than ever. "Usually when you go through an audition process, it means you _want_ a role," said Ryan.

"Man, who'd you get?" asked Chad irritably.

After a few seconds without response, Gabriella herself stepped forward, using her finger to trace Jason's role. She blinked, and then dissolved into a fit of giggles. She stuffed her hands in her mouth to try and lessen them, but they were still loud. Jason looked down.

"What part did he get?" asked Troy urgently.

Gabriella paused long enough before saying, "Edna Turnblad," and laughing again.

"Dude, you're a _girl_?!" yelled Chad as Troy roared with laughter.

Troy clapped him on the back, laughing. "I guess Darbus doesn't like you all that much.

"Man, you're playing Martha's _mom_!" shouted Chad gleefully. "I wonder who's playing your husband."

"I can't believe, out of all these girls, _you_ got cast as Edna," said Troy.

Sharpay stood up and glared at them. "You guys know _nothing_ about the theatre, do you?"

Chad raised an eyebrow. "Is it customary in the theatre to cast guys as women? If that's the case, then I --"

"No, not in theatre in general. But in Hairspray it is," she snarled. "Every production of Hairspray has a guy playing Edna. It's tradition."

"What the fuck is _your_ problem?" asked Chad, making a face.

"Let's see," said Sharpay mockingly. "Well, I got cast as Penny fucking Pingleton. I have to play an airheaded dumbass who not only falls in love with _you_ but sings in only five songs, none of them solo songs!" She sat back down again and sighed. "Kelsi and Gabriella have solo songs. Martha has like a thousand. Even _Taylor_ has a solo! And I have none." She pouted.

"Get over it," said Taylor in annoyance. "You're still in a lot of numbers."

"You know what's cool," cut in Gabriella, not wishing to start a fight. "All of us have solos in the finale! Won't that be awesome?" She turned sympathetically to Troy. "Except you."

"Oh yeah, it'll be awesome, because we're already getting along great," said Chad sarcastically.

"Come on," said Gabriella pleadingly. "This is fun, isn't it? Like how different the musical is from our real lives?" Everyone stared blankly at her. "I'll spell it out for you. Martha and Ryan like each other. Martha and Sharpay are best friends. Chad and Sharpay get together. Sharpay is the nice girl, and Kelsi and I are the bitches. Troy hates me. Jason is Martha's mom. Taylor is Chad's mom. Kelsi's my mom." She looked around desperately. "It's funny!"

"Real funny," muttered Chad darkly.

Finally, Gabriella had enough. "Okay, everyone, stop fucking complaining!" Everyone looked around at her, surprised. "We decided that we would do this to have fun. We're all friends. Some of us might not get along so great --" She eyed Chad and Sharpay, "-- but just get over it, because you're ruining everything."

There was a slight pause.

"That was deep, Gabriella," joked Taylor.

Troy draped an arm around her shoulders. "You're right. You two," he nodded bluntly over at Chad and Sharpay. "Shut up and stop fighting. You won't get Herpes or anything from kissing each other."

"Maybe Mono," muttered Chad, but at the glares from everyone else, he sighed. "Fine."

"And you, stop complaining about your damn role," snapped Gabriella to Sharpay.

"What're you, my mom?" demanded Sharpay.

"If I have to be civil, she has to stop complaining," said Chad immediately.

She sighed. "Whatever. I'll just vent to Zeke. _He_ listens to me."

"It's because you're screwing him."

"Chad!"

"Whoops."

* * *

After school, a mandatory meeting was held for all prominent characters in the musical, where they were all receive their scripts and song sheets. The important characters were almost all played by the nine friends, except for three. Kay Murray, Allen Halverson, and Rachel Hodges had all been cast as Lil' Inez, Wilbur Turnblad, and Prudy Pingleton, respectively.

The first thing said to the group of friends as they walked onto the stage was from Allen, saying to Jason, "So I guess you're my wife?"

If looks could kill, Allen would've died the second the words left his lips.

Kay stalked over to Chad and pointed at him. "Are you playing Seaweed?"

Chad looked at her perplexedly and nodded.

Kay folded her arms. "During the 'Run and Tell That' scene, you have to tone down your singing because _my_ voice has to stand out the most, okay? Oh, and the same goes during the finale, all of you. My dancing has to be the best."

Everyone exchanged looks.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Troy. "Aren't you a freshman?"

"Yeah, so?" said Kay bitchily.

"Sweetie, you have, like, three lines in two songs," said Sharpay, belittling her. "You're barely in the production. I wouldn't go bossing everyone around."

"I've heard about you!" exclaimed Kay. "Sharpay Evans, right?"

"Well," said Sharpay with faux-modesty, and giving a laugh. "The one and only, yes."

"Yeah, you're the one that got your self-proclaimed drama department stolen from you right under your nose, right?" Sharpay's smile instantly turned to a scowl. "Yeah, we heard about it at the middle school too."

Kay strutted away, and Chad said, "I hope she trips during one of her dances."

"Oh, I'll make sure of that," hissed Sharpay, glaring after the girl.

"Oh, good, you're all here!" said Ms. Darbus happily as she and Mrs. Buchanan walked onto the stage. Mrs. Buchanan was holding a large box that most likely contained all their scripts. Ms. Darbus seemed unperturbed by Mrs. Buchanan's struggles. "Out of the seventy auditionee's --" Ms. Darbus glowed at the memory of the large turnout, "-- you twelve should feel very proud that you're the best of the best."

Kay laughed loudly and everyone sent her a look. Ms. Darbus continued as if there has been no interruption.

"Rehearsals begin Monday and will continue every day after school. The school insists that rehearsals must end by seven o' clock on school nights --" She rolled her eyes at the atrocity, "-- but on Friday's, be prepared to not return home until late. I can't keep you past ten-thirty so, around then."

Gabriella and Troy exchanged raised eyebrows. Rehearsals for Twinkle Towne had never been _that_ brutal.

"Any questions?" asked Ms. Darbus pleasantly.

Chad eyed the scripts that Mrs. Buchanan was currently unloading from the box with disdain. "We have to know _all that_?"

"Of course, Mr. Danforth, did you not know what you were getting into when you auditioned?" questioned Ms. Darbus, and Chad glowered at Gabriella. "I expect you to have all your songs and lines down come Monday."

Mrs. Buchanan walked over to the group and started distributing scripts and music sheets. "I recommend you go through and highlight all your lines," she beamed. "Okay, Martha, you're Tracy, let's get your music..."

Chad weighed the script in his hands and slowly turned to Gabriella. "_What_ did you get me into?"

She smiled sheepishly. "It's not that bad. Seaweed isn't in it _too_ much."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, you know, he's only the biggest guy character aside from Link," supplied Troy, smiling.

Chad visibly paled as he stared at the thick script in his hands.

"I think I'm going to commit suicide."

* * *

**AN:** _HSMgalzzz_ – you got it totally right! And I realize that the audition process was astronomically short but... I wanted it that way. The story already drags a little bit so, you know, I didn't want it to drag on any more than it needs to.

**UP NEXT:**

Chad and Sharpay exhibit some difficulties in playing two of the romantic leads.


	8. I Can't Be Bothered Now

**AN:** Thanks, YET AGAIN, for reviews. And thank you so much to all those who read this. It really means a lot to me, because I've put a ton of work into this story. I just did the math, and realize I've been working on this since March/April. That's, like, eight months. EIGHT MONTHS. Who knew I had such an attention span.

This chapter is okay, but I love the next chapter. Can you spell d-r-a-m-a?

The chapter title comes from the musical _Crazy For You_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_I Can't Be Bothered Now_

Troy and Chad were sitting at Troy's kitchen table Sunday morning, eating cereal and reading over their Hairspray scripts. Rehearsals started the following day and neither of them were very close to memorizing their lines.

"Okay, you be Penny," said Chad.

"What? No."

"Come on, just to help me with my lines."

"No. Wait for Taylor or something."

"Just do it."

"No."

Their heated argument was abruptly stopped at the sound of footsteps on the stairs right outside the kitchen. Troy and Chad stopped to listen, and a moment later Lila entered the kitchen, wearing only a satin bathrobe. Trailing behind her was a man in one of her other robes.

"Oh, my God, Grandma!" exclaimed Troy, jumping up.

Lila looked around in surprise. "Troy? What are you doing here?"

"I _live_ here!"

"Oh, look at you two, doing your homework on a Sunday morning!" she cooed, eyeing their scripts. "What good boys."

"Grandma, who's _that_?!" asked Troy rudely, pointing.

"This? Oh, this is Frank," introduced Lila. "I met him through speed dating." She paused. "I mean, at synagogue."

"So why's he here this early in the morning?" questioned Troy, his eyes narrowing. "Morning services don't start for three hours."

"We were, uh..." thought Lila. "Playing board games."

Troy made a face. "Ugh."

Lila dug through the refrigerator for a moment before pulling out a pint of vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. "Come on, Frank, let's play more... board games," she said in what she must've thought was a discreet tone. The two ran as fast as two seventy-year-old's could up the stairs and slammed the door behind them.

"I'm going to be traumatized," sighed Troy, sitting back down.

Chad was laughing. "Your grandmother is kinky."

* * *

Later that day, Chad sat alone in the den. The television was on, but he wasn't watching it. Instead, his attention was focused on the script in his lap as he tried to memorize his lines. His mouth moved soundlessly as he said the words silently.

He jumped about five feet in the air at the sound of the back door opening. He tossed the script as fast as he could on the floor next to him, so it was out of sight of the person entering. He pretended to be immersed in the TV as Sharpay walked in.

"Where is everyone?" she asked in a bitchy tone.

Chad sighed. Out of all the possible people that could've come in, it _had_ to be her. "Troy and Gabriella went to a movie, Taylor and Ryan went to Martha's house, Jason is with Kelsi because she's the only person he'll rehearse in front of, and Zeke --" He paused and tore his eyes away from the TV screen to smirk at her. "You probably know where Zeke is, don't you?"

Sharpay flushed. "Um, yeah, of course I do," she lied, flopping down on the couch. She had a Juicy Couture purse dangling from her wrist and her script was tucked under her arm. They sat in silence for a few moments, their eyes on the TV.

"Do you need something?" asked Chad, ruder than he'd intended.

Her cheeks tinged red again. "No," she retorted. "I just..." she sighed. "Do you know where Zeke is?"

Chad shook his head. "Nope. I haven't talked to him today."

Sharpay frowned. "Oh." She fingered the edges of her script subconsciously.

Awkwardly, Chad cleared his throat. "So, uh, have you been rehearsing?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Well," her snooty attitude returned, "I've seen the movie and the play so many times that I don't have as much to practice. Have _you_?"

"Yeah but I can't read music so the songs are a little hard to learn," he confessed, trying hard to ignore Sharpay's tone.

Sharpay fidgeted. "Well, um, I could help you," she offered, sounding sincere.

"Oh. Um, sure." They sat uncomfortably for a few seconds before Chad said, "I think my script is around here somewhere..." he lied, pretending to search. "Oh, here we go," he commented as he bent down and retrieved it.

"Okay," said Sharpay, scooting to the edge of the couch so she was next to him. "Seaweed is in..." She quickly calculated. "Three songs, right?"

Chad nodded. "Yeah. I kinda know 'Run and Tell That'... but 'Without Love' is killing me."

Sharpay flipped her song sheet open to 'Without Love,' the ballad sung by Link, Tracy, Seaweed, and Penny. "Oh, this is my favorite song!" she said happily. "I have the musical's soundtrack with me... hold on." She dug through her huge purse before finally extracting the CD. She bustled over to Troy's stereo, inserted the CD, and skipped to the song.

"Try and follow along with it," she instructed, and Chad did as he was told, following Link and Tracy's verses.

When Seaweed's first solo line came on, Chad attempted to sing along but couldn't get the beat right. Sharpay giggled at his struggles as she sang along with her line. "_In my ivory tower, life was just a hostess snack. But now I've tasted chocolate, and I'm never goin' back!_"

"You sound good," complimented Chad, and she smiled.

"Thanks. Sing."

Chad cleared his throat. "_Life is like a beat that you can't follow._"

"_Without love, life is Doris Day at the apollo._"

"_Darlin' I'll be yours forever,_" they sang together, "_'cause I never wanna be, without looo-oo-oove,_"

"_So darlin' never set me free,_"

"_I'm yours forever. Never set me free, no, no, noo-oo!_"

The song continued playing but the two had stopped singing. Their hands had accidentally brushed during the end of the verse, and the two were now fidgeting awkwardly.

Chad cleared his throat. "Thanks for that. I think I get it now."

Sharpay swallowed. "Oh, yeah, you're welcome." She stood up and took her CD out of Troy's stereo, placing it back in its case and then her purse. "Well, I better go. I have to meet Zeke. Um. Bye."

She gave a final wave before leaving the den, closing the door with a snap behind her.

* * *

The following day at rehearsals, Darbus was on everybody's case for not having everything memorized.

"How are we supposed to know the beat of the songs without any _music_?" asked Taylor, annoyed.

"It's called listening to the soundtrack," snapped Kay.

Taylor raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, let's see what you've got."

Kay smirked. "Oh, I'd love to."

She stepped in the middle of the stage and started to sing her verse in Run and Tell That, whilst performing the same dance that Lil' Inez performed in the remake movie.

No one clapped when she was finished; they just glared. Key didn't seem to care, only sending them a sneer.

"Very nice, Miss Murray," said Ms. Darbus, "However, I must condemn you for learning the dance from the movie, as our choreography will be different. It was not a wise move on your part."

Sharpay laughed loudly and Kay flushed. "Oh, Ms. Darbus, I can learn the new dance easily," Kay assured her.

"If you're sure. Well, since we're on the subject, let's get started on the choreography for that song," she announced. "Mr. Danforth, Ms. Murray, front and center please. Oh, and the Company for this song, please come forward."

Since they were not in the number, Gabriella and Taylor trotted off the stage and took seats in the audience.

"Do you know all your songs?" Gabriella asked Taylor.

Taylor laughed. "No. But I'm hoping Darbus will just focus on this song today so she doesn't find out about me."

Gabriella giggled. "So Taylor, I feel like it's been so long since the two of us actually talked. How's it going?"

"Oh, it's good. Nothing exciting."

"How're you and Chad?"

Taylor gave her a look. "What?"

"You know. How are you two? As a couple?" Gabriella asked slowly.

"Ooh!" said Taylor with realization. "We broke up."

Gabriella blinked. "WHAT!?" she screamed so loudly that everyone looked around at them.

"Miss Montez, Miss McKessie, if you cannot keep your voices down, I may have to make you sing the songs that I _know_ you learned over the weekend," Ms. Darbus chided.

Gabriella flushed. "Sorry, Ms. Darbus." She rounded on Taylor again and hissed, "_You broke up_!?"

Taylor nodded.

"When?"

"A few days ago. Wait... on Saturday. Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"Oh my God. Why?"

"It's so not a big deal, Gabriella," said Taylor. "I swear."

"I don't care. Tell me!"

Taylor sighed. "Well, we never... I don't know. We just kinda didn't feel like a couple. I mean, we liked each other, but not really."

Gabriella nodded, and said sarcastically, "Oh, yeah, I _totally_ get it."

"Well. We just didn't have anything between us. We didn't act like a couple. I was flirting with other guys and didn't get jealous with he flirted with other girls. So we broke up."

"What was it like?" asked Gabriella, interested.

Taylor sent her a look. "It was something along the lines of this: Chad said, 'Yeah this isn't working out' and I said 'Took the words right out of my mouth' and he said, 'Let's watch Family Guy' and I said, 'Good idea.'"

Gabriella blinked. "That's so boring."

"Would you rather have me rip a piece of jewelry from around my neck, give it to him, and then run away?" asked Taylor, smirking, and Gabriella blushed.

"I didn't rip it off. I took it off nicely."

"I can tell because you're wearing it. That was probably your plan, right?"

"What?"

"You were probably like, 'Well, I don't wanna break it just in case we get back together and I can wear it again.'"

Gabriella laughed. "How'd you know?" she joked.

"Miss McKessie! Let's pick out your wig."

"My wig?" repeated Taylor. "What wig?"

"Didn't you know?" asked Gabriella. "Maybelle is a blonde."

Taylor glared at her. "She's _what_?"

Gabriella giggled nervously. "Oops."

* * *

"_Ever since we first saw the light, I met a woman who like to shake it on a Saturday night,_"

"No, Chad," said Sharpay bossily a few days later during rehearsals, stopping Chad in mid-dance move. "It's '_a man and woman liked to shake it on a Saturday night._'

Chad rolled his eyes. "Oops, sorry," he snapped.

"I just want you to get it right," said Sharpay defensively.

"Okay, okay," cut in Ms. Darbus, sighing. "Just take it from Tracy's line."

"Whaddya have to say, Penny?" crooned Martha from the side of the stage.

"I am now a checkboard chick!" cheered Sharpay before starting her verse. "_You can't stop the river as it rushes to the sea._"

"_You can try to stop the hands of time but you know it just can't be!_" joined Chad.

"_And if they try to stop us, Seaweed, I'll call the –_ ugh, Chad!" said Sharpay in frustration as Chad bumped into her, causing her to stumble. "Watch where you're going!"

"Maybe you should give me some room to walk," he retorted.

"Enough!" yelled Ms. Darbus loudly. "You two --" She pointed at Sharpay and Chad. "-- do not make me regret my casting choices."

"It's not me, Miss Darbus --"

"Chad, he --"

Ms. Darbus held up her hands. "If you two cannot work out your differences, I may be forced to recast."

"Well, why did you cast me as Penny, anyway?" demanded Sharpay angrily. "You know that we hate each other!"

"Penny is a big part of the play," Ms. Darbus told her. "I figured you would love to be one of the main characters."

"Penny has no solo songs."

"Get over the fucking songs!" exploded Chad. "Jesus, just because you don't have your own song, the world is over? You're in more songs than any other girl in this play, except Martha. We're all sick of hearing you whine and complain about your terrible, horrible part!"

Sharpay glared at him.

"I was about to say the same thing, Miss Evans, albeit with cleaner language," confessed Darbus. "I want you two to leave this theatre until you can learn to get along."

"Oh, but Ms. Darbus --"

The teacher simply pointed to the door. Sharpay and Chad scowled but stomped off the stage and through the aisles anyway, slamming the door behind them.

"Ten bucks says they kill each other," said Troy.

"While two of our leads are out," said Ms. Darbus, "Mr. Cross, why don't we get you fitted for your fat suit?"

Taylor laughed loudly. "HA! A fat suit."

"Don't let Sharpay know that you get one, or she might try to kill Martha and take her role," said Gabriella seriously.

* * *

Sharpay and Chad were sitting in silence directly outside the theatre. Sharpay was cross-legged and pouting. Chad stared angrily at the wall from his position across from her.

"This is all your fault, you know," said Sharpay after a few moments of silence.

"Of course it is."

"Well, it is, 'cause you annoy me."

Chad shook his head. "You know what, Sharpay, I really don't give a shit."

Sharpay let out an exasperated sigh. "You make everything so difficult."

"_I_ make everything difficult?" repeated Chad. "If my memory serves me right – which it does – _you _always start the fights."

"I do not," she snapped. "I'm just annoyed that I have to be Penny."

"If you start talking about solos again, I swear to God --"

"No. It's because I have to fall in love with _you_."

Chad groaned. "Sharpay stop acting like the victim. I am no happier about the circumstances but I'm dealing with it. If you're such an amazing performer, how come you aren't just dealing with it like you should be?"

Sharpay gaped at his words. There was another silence as the two sat through the tension, shifting uncomfortably. Finally, Sharpay swallowed enough pride to say, "Fine."

"... fine what?"

She sighed. "I'll deal with it." She stood up and brushed off her red pants. "Let's go."

Chad eyed her suspiciously as he stood up. "Are you being serious? You're not gonna go in there and start crying about how I beat you up or anything, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "No." She gave me a small smile. "Hopefully we'll be able to work together like we did yesterday."

Chad averted her gaze. "Let's go." He brushed past her and opened the door to the theatre, leading her into the room.

* * *

"Does playing Edna make me gay?"

Everyone looked, exasperatedly, over at Jason. He'd been asking the same question in different ways for the past hour. They attempted to ignore him, but he just said again, five minutes later, "Does it make me gay that I'm playing Edna?"

"No!" said Chad, loudly and annoyed. "You know, I'm exercising a lot of self-control by not making fun of you for it, but you're giving me so much bait here."

"Jason, you're not gay," said Gabriella gently. "John Travolta played Edna in the movie."

Jason looked horrified. "But John Travolta _is_ gay!"

"No, he's not," said Sharpay, looking at him strangely.

"But... yes he is! He wears those weird sunglasses and has a husband!"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "That's _Elton_ John."

Jason frowned. "Oh."

Sharpay turned to Taylor. "I saw Allen checking you out today."

Taylor sighed. "Yeah."

"Aren't you gonna threaten to beat him up or something?" asked Sharpay of Chad, who raised his eyebrows.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because some guy was _checking her out_."

"Oh, you don't know yet. Well, Taylor and I broke up."

Sharpay gasped. "_How_ did I not know about this?"

"No one knew."

"Well, except Gabriella," Taylor added.

"I told Troy," said Gabriella.

"Oh and I told Jason."

"I told Kelsi."

"I told Martha."

"I told Ryan."

"I... well, I told Gabriella again, but she already knew."

Sharpay scowled. "Well whatever." She faced Taylor again. "So, you're a free woman. Ask out Allen!"

Taylor made a face. "No!"

"Why not?"

"Because he's weird."

"So was Chad, but you went out with him."

Chad narrowed his eyes at her.

"Oops, I forgot, I have to get along with Chad now," sighed Sharpay.

Chad shook his head in discontentedly.

"So why is Allen weird?" pressed Sharpay.

Taylor shrugged. "I don't know. I just... don't like him. Like, the other day, he told me my hair smelled nice."

"But that's good!"

"He stood there smelling it for like a minute."

Sharpay cringed. "Oh." The group settled back into the movie they were watching – Blades of Glory – while Sharpay checked her phone every five seconds. After about a half hour, she asked, "Zeke was supposed to be here forty-five minutes ago."

Gabriella frowned at her. "Maybe he got busy. Where is he?"

She shrugged. "Um, actually he didn't tell me. But it's not big deal," she said casually, though her eyes continually flickered to the door.

"I should get going," said Gabriella at around nine o' clock. "I have Calculus homework."

"Oh, I'll come too," said Taylor, standing up. "You can help me; I didn't understand what we did today."

"Bye," said Gabriella, kissing Troy before the two girls left.

"I'll take you home, Martha," said Ryan shyly when the movie ended twenty minutes later. Martha smiled.

"Okay!"

The two stood up and began to leave, before Kelsi said, "Wait, Martha, you're spending the night tonight, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Well, can you take me to Kelsi's house?" Martha asked Ryan, who nodded.

"I'll come along for the ride," said Jason, and the four of them exited the den, leaving only Troy, Sharpay, and Chad.

Troy glanced at Sharpay, who was showing no signs of leaving, and then stood up. "I'm gonna go get... food... or something." He quickly left the room, leaving Chad and Sharpay alone.

Sharpay didn't even seem to be aware that she was alone with Chad. She had a faraway look in her eyes and she was staring at one of Troy's Jessica Alba posters with a stoney face. Chad cleared his throat after a few seconds and she started, glancing around.

"Where'd everyone go?"

"Home."

"Even Ryan?"

"He's taking Martha and Kelsi to Kelsi's. Jason went along."

"Oh." Sharpay frowned, and she sighed loudly. "I guess I'll be walking home tonight."

"Why?"

"Zeke was supposed to take me home and, well, Ryan took me here, so I'm car-less," she explained matter-of-factly.

Chad shifted. "I could take you home."

She shook her head. "No, no, it's okay."

"I don't want you to walk home, though," he protested. "You live a couple miles away, and it's dark out --"

"Worried about me, Chad?" mocked Sharpay, and Chad shook his head. "Aww, is little Chad starting to grow a heart?"

Chad glared at her. "Forget I said anything. Walk home, see if I care."

"I will." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and smirked at him. "Bye, Chelsea," she teased, stalking out of the den and slamming the door after her.

Troy poked his head back in. "Oh, good, she's gone." He breathed a sigh of relief. "I was stuck with my grandmother talking about all her past lover's 'talents' and thought I was going to explode." He plopped back onto the couch and rested his feet on the coffee table. "How'd you get rid of her?"

"Hm? What?" asked Chad as he was pulled out of his thoughts. "Oh, um... you know... the usual."

* * *

**AN:** Sorry Chaylor fans. I know those of you who are Chaylor's are unhappy, and I apologize. I like Chaylor, but, in this story especially, I thought I wrote them more as platonic friends. They get along well, but not romantically. At least here. But anyway, review please. If I get a lot of reviews maybe I'll update faster. Who knowssss.

**UP NEXT:**

A trip to the lake goes horribly awry.


	9. If I Loved You

**AN:** As always, thanks for the reviews.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Carousel_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_If I Loved You_

"Hey guys, Zeke told me about this _great_ place today," said Jason by way of greeting as he burst into the den one Friday afternoon. No one paid him much attention, as was per usual when most people entered Troy's den, so he continued anyway. "There's this lake nearby --"

"Jason, we all know about the lake," said Troy, bored. "We've all lived here for forever, remember?"

"I haven't," Gabriella reminded him.

"But you still know about the lake."

"True, I do know of it."

"Yeah, but... come on!" prodded Jason. "It would be an awesome place to go and drink, wouldn't it?"

"He's got a point," said Chad.

"What was Zeke doing at the lake?" asked Sharpay sharply.

"He wasn't at the lake, he just told me he's been there a few times and it's chill."

"When has he been there? I haven't been there."

"He said something about cooking."

"Cooking at a lake? Jason, how dumb are --"

"Hello, Sharpay, barbecuing!" he exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, we should totally go there tonight! Troy's dad is always breathing down our necks about drinking, so let's just pack up a bunch of ice chests and go to the lake!"

"My dad will know if suddenly we're down thirty beers," Troy told him.

"We can take a little bit from each of our parents," said Chad.

"Yeah! Gabriella's mom has a bunch of beer cans that she never drinks from."

"Your mom has a stash of beer?" said Chad to Gabriella, who nodded. "And she never drinks them?" She nodded again. "You've been keeping this from us!?"

"Okay," said Troy, mediating. "How about we all steal five beers from our parents and bring them here? My dad has a few ice chests that he never uses, so we can put them in there."

"Does anyone know where Zeke is?" asked Sharpay, and everyone shook their heads. She sighed.

"Okay," said Troy with formality. "Everyone, just get your beer and then come back."

* * *

"My mom _cannot_ see us," said Gabriella quietly as she and Taylor crept into the kitchen.

"You told me this, like, a hundred times," hissed Taylor.

"Just want it fresh in your mind."

Gabriella opened the fridge and spied all the beer cans along the bottom shelf. She grabbed two and was about to hand them to Taylor when she heard footsteps.

"Shit!" Without thinking, she shut the fridge, stuffed the ice-cold beers up her shirt, and then sat herself down on the ground, bringing her legs up to her chest to her mother wouldn't see the two cylindrical lumps. Taylor, amused, plopped herself down beside her.

"Gabriella! Taylor!" cried Maria as she entered the kitchen. Once again, Gabriella's iPod was in her hands, with one earbud in. "What are you two doing here? Sitting here on the ground by the fridge?" she asked, puzzled.

"Um..." stammered Gabriella, starting to wince from the cold cans against her bare skin. "We're deciding what to eat."

"On the ground?" Maria repeated.

Gabriella nodded. "Well, we're tired from the walk over."

Maria sighed. "Gabi, I told you that you should've taken Gym this year."

Gabriella flushed. "Yes, Mom."

"Well, choose something healthy!" said Maria before turning on Gabriella's iPod. "Party like a rock, party like a rockstar..."

Once Gabriella was sure her mother was out of earshot, she sighed in relief and removed the beer cans from under her shirt. "My skin is numb."

"You're so dumb, you should've just put them back in the fridge," said Taylor, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever." She handed the cans to Taylor before grabbing three of her own. "Bye Mom, going to Troy's!" she called over her shoulder as the two sprinted outside.

* * *

"Okay, we're all here with the beer," said Chad as Troy placed the beers carefully in an ice-chest. "So we've got Troy's car, the seven of us, and an ice-chest of alcohol." He nodded. "I think we're set."

Jason and Troy grabbed the sides of the ice-chest and heaved it out through the backyard and to the front of the house where Troy's car sat. "Make sure my dad isn't looking out the window."

Gabriella checked the windows. "Your grandmother's in the living room, but I don't think she knows what you're doing. She's with some old guy. They're..." She stopped. "Never mind."

Troy and Jason placed the chest in the trunk of the car. "Let's go," instructed Troy, climbing into the drivers seat.

"Shotgun!" cried Jason.

"No, _I_ get shotgun," argued Gabriella.

"Gabriella, you've been Troy's girlfriend for a couple months. I've been his friend for years." He turned to Troy. "Right, Troy?"

"Jason," began Troy, and Jason eagerly climbed into the front seat. Troy pushed him out so that he fell so the ground and continued, "get in the back."

Jason looked both shocked and angered, but squashed himself into the backseat with Sharpay, Taylor, Chad, and Ryan while Gabriella took her seat in the front.

"Buckle up," smirked Troy.

"I think you'll have to double-buckle," giggled Gabriella. "And I suggest you do it. Troy sucks at driving."

"What the fuck? No."

"Chad," said Troy condescendingly. "I can't leave without all your seats buckled!"

They all grumbled irritably as Jason and Ryan, and Chad and Sharpay awkwardly shared a seatbelt. Taylor sat contentedly in the middle.

Gabriella flicked on the radio as Troy pulled away from his house and Hey There Delilah came on.

"SHUT THAT OFF NOW!" yelled Chad immediately.

"This song is cute," said Gabriella defensively.

"I'm with Chad on this one," said Sharpay. "Turn this shit off. It sucks."

Gabriella dejectedly switched the station to the song The Way I Are.

"That's a lot better," said Sharpay.

"It's only a little better," said Chad.

"Troy, turn your headlights on, it's getting dark," said Gabriella, and Troy raised an eyebrow.

"Don't backseat drive, Gabriella."

"I'm not. I'm sitting in the front."

Troy sighed, annoyed, but flicked his headlights on anyway.

"Is Zeke coming, Shar?" asked Ryan.

Sharpay frowned. "No, he didn't answer his phone when I called him and he doesn't have text messaging. I don't know where he is."

"Oh, it's okay," said Gabriella comfortingly. "Tomorrow we'll hunt him down, okay?"

Sharpay laughed lightly. "Yeah, okay."

A few moments later they arrived and unloaded the ice-chest from the trunk. They dragged it all the way down to the lake's edge and stared at the water.

"So what do we do now?" asked Gabriella.

Chad flipped open the chest and tossed her a can. "We drink." He opened his own can and chugged half of it in one gulp.

* * *

It only took an hour for most of the teens to get buzzed. None of them were as hammered as they'd been at Troy's party but they weren't exactly sober either.

"Let's go skinny dipping!" said Sharpay excitedly from her spot on the ground next to Chad.

"Let's do it," agreed Chad, yanking his shirt over his head.

As predicted, Gabriella was wary. She watched all six of her friends stripping down as if it were no big deal while she stood there, frozen. Going topless was nothing – they'd all seen _that_ – but the rest was another story.

"Come on, Gabriella!" urged Taylor as she pulled down her shorts.

Gabriella blushed. "Well..." She took off her shirt and bra but kept her shorts on, watching as Sharpay, Chad, Jason, and Ryan ran buck-naked into the freezing lake. She couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Ryan's and Jason's completely white asses, the latter's tattoo glinting in the moonlight.

Troy grabbed her hand and Gabriella turned redder than ever, realizing he was naked as well. "Come on, it'll be fun." He winked as her as Taylor jumped into the lake as well.

She took a deep breath and let the consumed alcohol take over her mind. She pulled down her shorts and underwear before letting another thought against it cross her mind, and she and Troy ran hand-in-hand into the water.

Gabriella was surprised that, even though the water was chilly, she enjoyed the feel of it. It was refreshing to let the cool water wash over her bare body. She giggled as she bobbed above the water.

Troy grabbed hold of her waist and pulled her in for a kiss, and Gabriella responded eagerly. They made out in the water for a while, barely aware of their friends drunkenly messing around in the water a few feet away. After a moment, though, Gabriella remembered the two were naked and she broke away.

"Gabriella," moaned Troy.

She blushed, but said, "I'm sorry. I just... I don't want my first time to be in a lake. While you're under the influence of alcohol."

Troy sighed. "No, it's okay. Don't be sorry."

Gabriella leaned forward and pecked him on the mouth before swimming over to the others.

"Gabriella, you look fucking hot!" exclaimed Chad. She was sure to keep her chest under the water.

"No one go below the surface," she instructed,

Sharpay's mascara was running as a result of the water. "This is so fun!" she slurred, floating on her back.

"That's hot," commented Chad.

"I gotta pee," announced Troy, and he began to swim back to the shore.

"Don't be gone for too long!" Chad called after him. "I don't know how much longer I can control myself around a wet and naked Gabriella."

Troy ignored him as he walked up the shore. It was all too late that he realized there were no towels; the only things he had to dry himself with were their discarded clothes. He grabbed his jeans from the ground and used them to warm himself slightly as he ran into the small cluster of trees that separated the lake from the road.

He sighed contentedly as he relieved himself – nothing can beat that feeling, he decided.

When he finished, he started walking back to the water when he heard some rustling near him. His heart started beating faster, and he prayed that there wasn't a mass murderer getting ready to rape him in there. He quietly crept toward the sound of the noise, but he couldn't see very far in the darkness. Finally, he saw some movement and a couple people wrapped in an embrace.

As nosy as Troy was, he kept walking closer until he could see who it was. When he did, he nearly yelled in shock.

A half-clothed Zeke was wrapped around that of a blonde cheerleader.

Troy stood in shock for a few seconds, his mouth wide open. Without really knowing why, he dug into his jeans and pulled out his phone, snapping a picture before tearing back toward the water.

Everyone else had already gotten out and realized the predicament of nothing to dry themselves with. They had decided to simply re-dress themselves and hope their clothes were enough to do it.

"Should we get going?" asked Troy quickly, pulling his boxers and jeans on.

"Now?" said Chad. "We've only been here for an hour."

"I just... I think we should go," he said. "Gabriella, are you drunk?" She shook her head. "You drive."

"Troy --" began Chad again.

"My dad wants me home at nine; let's go," said Troy firmly.

No one argued any longer; they were good samaritans and picked up their empty beer cans and threw them away in a nearby trash can before Troy led them back to the car, deliberately avoiding Zeke and his female friend.

Gabriella drove Troy's car back to his house, where they deposited the leftover beers in the bar.

"So man, where's your dad?" asked Chad, irritated.

"Um..." stammered Troy. "He's in there." He motioned to the rest of the house. "He told me he was gonna, uh, check on me."

Chad checked his phone. "Well, man, it's nine-thirty."

"Hm," said Troy. "Well, I wonder where he is."

Chad narrowed his eyes but didn't challenge him.

Troy swallowed, as an internal struggle took place within him. Two seats down was sitting Sharpay Evans. They weren't exactly friends. Hell, she'd broken up him and his girlfriend once. But he'd gotten to know her as a person and there was definitely more to her than her bitchy persona. She was dating a friend of his... a friend who also happened to be cheating on her. She'd been upset the past few days over his continual absence, and Troy was the only one who knew the reason behind it. But how do you tell someone something like that?

* * *

Troy rolled over in his sleep early the next morning, his head pounding from a hangover. He yelled out as he toppled out of bed, and groaned as his head hit the ground, causing it to pound even harder. It took him a few moments to remember why he had a hangover before the events of the night before came back.

Drinking at the lake. Skinny-dipping. Almost doing it with Gabriella. Seeing Zeke cheat on Sharpay.

Remembering the picture he'd taken, Troy rummaged through his dirty clothes before finding his phone and flipping it open, glancing through the pictures. The picture was dark, but it was still possible to tell that it was Zeke in the picture. He sighed, unsure of what to do about the situation.

He was surprised to see that it was already eleven o' clock. He changed into a pair of shorts and T-shirt and jogged down the steps, grabbing himself a bowl of a cereal and chewing it thoughtfully, mulling over the possibilities in his head.

Chad walked in through the den a few moments later and grabbed himself a bowl of cereal as if he lived there as well. "So. Do you wanna tell me the _real_ reason why you made us leave to early last night?" he asked bitterly, pouring milk over his Cocoa Puffs.

Troy swallowed his food, and sighed. _Just do it_. He said, "Zeke was there."

"What? Where?"

"In the trees."

"Why didn't you invite him to come with us?"

"He was busy."

"Doing what?"

"Hooking up with some blonde."

"But... Sharpay was with us."

"It wasn't Sharpay."

Chad's mouth dropped open. "_What_?"

Troy nodded solemnly. "I saw them. Got a picture of it too."

Chad whistled. "Holy shit."

"What am we gonna do?"

"Do you think we should tell him?"

"Tell who what?" asked Gabriella as she and Taylor entered the kitchen. Gabriella sat in the chair next to Troy and grabbed his cereal bowl, taking a spoonful of his food.

Troy and Chad exchanged glances. "Um --"

"Zeke's cheating on Sharpay," explained Troy.

"WHAT!?"

"Hey, what's all the yelling?" said Ryan and Jason as they walked in too.

"Oh, sweet, you've got Captain Crunch!" cheered Jason, grabbing a bowl and pouring himself some.

"Why were you yelling?" asked Ryan again.

"I will seriously beat up Zeke," growled Taylor angrily. Gabriella looked pissed too.

"Why?" Ryan asked, desperately, a third time.

"Guess who's cheating on your sister?" asked Troy grimly.

Ryan and blinked, and he glared in anger. "Zeke is cheating on her!?" he snarled.

Troy tossed his phone onto the table. "Got a picture of it."

Gabriella opened the phone and found the picture. She made a disgusted face as she passed it around. "What a jackass."

"Gabriella!" gasped Becca Bolton. She and Jack entered the kitchen, already dressed. "I didn't know you had a sailor's mouth!"

"I told you that one was a bad seed," Lila reminded her as she walked in after them, wearing another one of her satin bathrobes.

Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"What are you looking at?" asked Becca of Ryan, who was glaring at the picture. He jumped and quickly closed the phone, sliding it back to Troy.

"Nothing."

"Nothing always means something," said Jack. "Remember, I work at a high school. _Your_ school."

They all exchanged tentative glances. "Well..." stammered Gabriella.

"Zeke is fucking cheating on Sharpay!" said Taylor, clearly pissed.

Becca looked down at Taylor. "No --"

"Zeke, a cheater?" Jack whistled. "Wow. I never would've thought of him as one."

"Yeah, well, I saw it," said Troy. "I have a picture of it and everything."

"So are you gonna tell Sharpay?"

They all looked at each other again. No had thought about that yet. Except, apparently, Gabriella. "The right thing would be to tell Zeke that we know," she said, "and give him a chance to tell Sharpay."

* * *

A couple hours later, the six were grouped in Troy's den. It was tense, with the fresh knowledge of Zeke's cheating in their minds. Ryan had called up Sharpay a few minutes prior, and she was currently in bed due to a terrible hangover. According to Ryan, she was planning on taking a long bath before heading over to Troy's, so they all hoped that Zeke would come over first.

Luckily, it didn't take long.

"Hey guys!" said Zeke happily as he entered the den. "It seems like I haven't been here in forever!" He took a seat next to Ryan, and was unaware that everyone in the room was glaring at him. "What're we watching?"

No one answered, and Zeke looked around, seeing their narrowed eyes. "What?"

It seems as if none of them wanted to answer, but finally Gabriella told him, "We know about what you're doing to Sharpay."

Zeke paled slightly, but tried to shake it off. "What are you talking about?"

"Man, Troy has a picture!" said Chad, looked at Zeke with disgust. "We were there last night. Jesus, _she_ was there last night!"

Zeke gaped. "I – okay, look, I didn't know she was there --"

"That doesn't make it any better!" snapped Chad, standing up. "Oh, because you've never cheated with her in the same vicinity as you, you think it's okay?!"

Zeke stood up too. "I didn't say that."

"Well I hope you know what you're gonna do about it," said Chad nastily.

"What?"

"Zeke," said Gabriella. "you're gonna tell her!"

"What? No!" he exclaimed. "No, I can't do that."

"And why the fuck not?" shouted Chad.

"Dude, why do you even _care_ so much!?" asked Zeke, getting angry himself. "You hate Sharpay. Why aren't you jumping for joy about this?"

"I'm not a fuckin' asshole, that's why," Chad snarled. "Just because the cheating is done to Sharpay doesn't make it any better."

"Well, I can't tell her," said Zeke defiantly.

Chad pushed him. "Yes, you can, and you will."

Zeke pushed him back. "No, I won't."

"I fuckin' swear to --"

"Okay, okay."

Ryan, Gabriella, and Troy had jumped up at the sign of a fight. Troy took hold of Zeke's arm while Ryan grabbed Chad's, just in case. Gabriella stood between them, her hands outstretched to keep them apart. "Look, Zeke, you _have_ to tell Sharpay," said Gabriella pleadingly. "You cheated on her, and that's horrible. But it'll be ever worse if she hears it from someone else."

Zeke shook his head. "No."

Ryan glared at him. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You cheated on my sister; just tell her!"

"If it's so important for her to know, _you_ tell her!" Zeke shook off Troy and stalked out of the den, slamming the door so loud behind him that the posters on the wall rattled.

"Well," stated Jason. "_That_ was dramatic."

* * *

"So now _we_ have to tell her," sighed Taylor, sitting on the counter top of Troy's kitchen island. Ryan was next to her, glaring at the ground.

"That dick," he mumbled.

Gabriella and Troy were sitting next to each other, holding hands. "I don't understand why he won't just tell her," she said quietly.

"Who cares _why_?" snapped Chad. "He's an ass."

"What are we gonna do about it?" asked Troy.

"Tell her," repeated Taylor.

Jack, Becca, and Lila walked in and saw the glum expressions. "I take it the meeting with Zeke didn't go well?" asked Jack.

"Did you not hear the whole house shake when he slammed the door?" asked Troy dryly.

"Now, is it the blonde that was cheated on?" Lila inquired. "I always liked her. Troy, comfort her."

"Is Sharpay coming over today?" asked Becca.

Gabriella nodded. "She actually should be over any minute."

Right on cue, Sharpay walked into the kitchen. "Here you all are!" she said cheerfully. She grabbed one of Becca's homemade cookies in a bowl next to Ryan, and noticed everyone staring at her. "What?"

"Are you, uh, feeling better?" asked Gabriella.

Sharpay nodded. "After my bath, I feel one hundred percent." She glanced around. "Is Zeke here?"

They all exchanged looks.

"What?" repeated Sharpay.

"Sharpay... we have to tell you something," said Gabriella slowly. Troy, Ryan, and Jason were all looking at the ground, avoiding her gaze. Becca and Jack looked uncomfortable, and even Lila had the good grace to not talk. Chad was staring at her, and Taylor hopped off the counter to grip her hand.

"Um. Did someone die?" asked Sharpay, with raised eyebrows.

"Sharpay, this is important."

"I'm sure it is," she said dismissively. "Where's Zeke?"

Gabriella stood up and approached Taylor and Sharpay. "Speaking of..." She trailed off.

Sharpay looked back and forth between the two girls. "_What!?_" she asked, exasperatedly, a third time.

"Sharpay." Gabriella took a deep breath. "Zekeischeatingonyou," she said in a rush.

Sharpay blinked. "All I heard was 'Zeke.' What about him?"

Gabriella looked desperately at Taylor, who sighed. "Last night, at the lake," said Taylor slowly. "Troy saw... well, he saw Zeke there. With... with another girl."

Sharpay stared at her for a few seconds before laughing. "Good one, Taylor!" she laughed, clutching her stomach. After a few moments, when no one joined in, her laughs subsided. "You are joking, right?"

Taylor shook her had sadly.

"No. No, no, no." She looked around at everyone, as if hoping one of them would confess to the prank. "You _can't_ be serious. Why would Zeke cheat on me?"

"Sharpay, we don't --"

"What makes you believe him?" accused Sharpay, pointing at Troy. "He was drunk last night, how do you know what he saw was real?"

It was clear how serious the situation was when neither Becca nor Jack reacted to that piece of news.

"I have a picture, Sharpay," said Troy, sliding his phone across the table, but Sharpay didn't pick it up. Her hands were shaking as she stared at the phone, not wanting to pick it up to see the proof that her nightmare was real.

"No, it's not true," she said. "You're all lying to me. This is a setup. You're all just jealous of me!"

"Sharpay," said Ryan, gripping her arm. "Please, don't."

Sharpay voice cracked as she spoke. "But – it just can't be – true – I mean, Zeke... we..."

"I know," said Gabriella sympathetically.

"No, you don't know!" shouted Sharpay, her eyes glistening. "For God's sake, I had sex with him! I lost my virginity with him, and a month later he's screwing around?!"

"Sharpay, we didn't want it to happen like this," said Taylor. "We talked to Zeke but – he, he just didn't want to tell you."

"But why?" Sharpay's words only came out as a whisper. "Why?"

Before anyone could answer, she ran out of the house through the front door.

"I'm going to kill Zeke for this," seethed Taylor.

Chad was staring at the ajar door, which Gabriella noticed. She said quietly, "Maybe you should go after her, Chad."

Chad jumped and looked around at her. He forced a laugh. "_Me_? Yeah, I don't think so. What would I say?"

Troy and Jason snickered. "Wow, Gabriella," said Jason, shaking his head. "Are you sick?"

Gabriella watched Chad for a few more seconds, as his shallow smile left his face, and sighed. "I'll go." She jogged out the door after Sharpay, followed closely by Taylor.

As soon as they were gone, Jack said, "So, Troy, about you being drunk last night --"

Troy jumped to his feet. "You know, I think I'll go after Sharpay."

"Sit."

* * *

It took Gabriella and Taylor only a few moments to find Sharpay; she hadn't gone far, simply to Troy's backyard. She was on her knees, her hair in her face, and tears dripping onto the grass. The two other girls leaned down next to her and rubbed her back.

"It's okay, Sharpay," whispered Gabriella.

Sharpay sniffed loudly. "I just... I just don't understand why he would do this," she said quietly.

Gabriella and Taylor crossed their legs and sat down next to her. "I'm so sorry," said Taylor, hugging her.

"If there's anything we can do."

"I guess murdering Zeke is out of the question, right?" said Sharpay.

Gabriella giggled lightly. "That might be a little difficult, yes."

She sighed. "You guys don't have to sit out here with me, I'll be fine."

"You're not getting rid of us that easily," said Taylor, scooting closer.

"Sharpay."

They were interrupted by a voice, and a shadow cast over their heads. They looked up and saw Zeke standing there uncomfortably.

"That'll get rid of us, though," muttered Taylor under her breath, grabbing Gabriella's hand and dragging her back around the side of the house.

Sharpay stood up and brushed her jeans off. She swiped at her eyes and flipped her hair back, staring at Zeke. "What?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

"Look, I," he sighed. "I just wanted to apologize, and I hope we can work through this."

"Work through what?" she reiterated. "You cheated on me."

"Yeah, but, Sharpay," pleaded Zeke. "That's it? You're just gonna give up on us like that? Without a fight?"

"Oh, don't try and pull that guilt shit on me," she spat. "I'm not giving up on anything. I'm just dumping a pathetic guy who I should've never given the time of day too."

"Sharpay --" he started, but she cut him off.

"_You_ cheated on _me_," she said clearly. "And for you to even think that I would stay with you after that shows that you never knew me at all."

She brushed past him and started to stomp off, when he said from behind her, "I love you."

She froze in her tracks and revolved slowly on the spot. He was watching her, hopeful.

Stalking over to him, she reared her arm back and slapped him full on the face. A bright red palm-mark glowed on his cheek.

"How. Dare. You," she growled.

She turned on her heel and marched off, leaving Zeke in Troy's backyard, alone and with a stinging face.

* * *

**AN:** READ THIS. READ THIS. Before anyone sends me hate reviews... I want to say that I don't hate Zeke. I do like Zeke. This was NOT a lame attempt for me to write him out of the story, nor was this me trying to make him the bad guy. I'm sorry to Zekepay fans. Eventually (a long, long eventually) YOU WILL KNOW WHY ZEKE CHEATED, and, maybe in a not-so-long eventually, HE WILL REDEEM HIMSELF. So I'm sorry that I made Zeke cheat – this doesn't mean I think he's a cheater (it's not like I watch the HSM movies and think that) but this was necessary for the plot, in many different ways. I don't mind if you send me reviews saying you don't agree with me, because I'm sure a lot of people won't, but I will mind if you tell me I'm "wrong."

**UP NEXT:**

Homecoming is upon East High, and everyone has a date. Well... almost everyone.


	10. Poor Thing

**AN:** I must sound like a broken record, but... thanks for the reviews! And I'm glad I didn't get too much hate for Zeke cheating. I didn't want to make him the bad guy, but that's just how it goes sometimes. Everyone is flawed, but that doesn't mean they're horrible people.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Sweeney Todd_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Poor Thing_

Homecoming had arrived.

It was less than a week away, and the whole East High student body was in a frenzy. Homecoming, in East High's eyes, was the single most important event at the school until the prom. If you didn't get a date, you weren't worthy. It was almost as embarrassing to show up at the dance alone than not show up at all.

Which is exactly why Sharpay Evans was freaking out.

The Monday prior to the dance, her ex-boyfriend had had the nerve to ask out his new girlfriend – his _mistress_ – to be his date on the PA system.

"Baylee Collins, will you do the honor of being my date for Homecoming on Saturday?"

Most everyone had 'awwwed' at the announcement, but Sharpay was so angered she snapped her mechanical pencil in half.

The next day, almost everyone was late to homeroom because Troy had spray-painted the front steps of the school with red and white paint: "You? Me? Homecoming?" Gabriella had cried and two made out until a teacher finally came outside to see what the hold up was. She'd ushered everyone inside and gave Troy lunch detention for two weeks for vandalizing the school and causing everyone to be tardy. She did, however, cause everyone to be another five minutes late due to her screaming at Troy.

On Wednesday, Martha had shown up to school holding a small rock with the word "Yes" painted on it. Apparently, Ryan had placed two rocks in her front law: a large boulder unable to be lifted by a single human being with the word "No" and the small rock, next to a sign that read, "Bring the big rock to school if you don't want to go to Homecoming with me. Bring the small rock if you do."

Thursday after school, Allen Halverson performed a tap-dance routine while singing a modified version of "Without Love" from the production of Hairspray, asking Taylor to the dance. She and Gabriella had argued back and forth during the entire performance, and finally Taylor gave in and decided to go with him to the dance, for the sake of having a date.

On Friday, Jason simply brought flowers for Kelsi because he couldn't think of anything else.

Sharpay was currently driving to Troy's house after school on Friday, her hope for being asked to Homecoming dwindling. As the week slowly rolled by, she came to realize that the chances of her being asked to the dance were incredibly slim. It just had to be her luck that she would find out about Zeke cheating on her two weeks before the dance. If only it had been a week _later_. A day later, even. _That night_ would've been better.

Speaking of Zeke, she prayed that he wasn't at Troy's house. Troy and Jason may have been annoyed at him cheating, but, after all, they'd been friends with him since first grade. She may be sortofkindofalmost friends with them, but it was definitely nothing compared to the friendship between the three of them. She'd thrown a hissy fit when Zeke first returned to Troy's house, but no one paid attention. Most everyone was already over it. Gabriella and Taylor were loyal to her in the fact that they didn't talk to Zeke while she was there, but Sharpay knew that when she was gone they all talked like they used to. Ryan and Chad didn't seem to care anymore either.

How could they not care? Zeke had ripped her heart out of her chest, tore it in half, and threw it down the garbage disposal. Well... maybe not so much. She hadn't really loved him. But she _had_ liked him a lot and, well, she'd slept with him.

She sighed in annoyance as she parked her pink convertible in front of Troy's house, grabbed her purse, and hopped out, walking dutifully through the backyard and to the back door, trying not to think about her predicament. _I'll get a date, I'll get a date, I'll get a date._

As soon as she opened the door, without even looking at who was inside, she burst into tears. "Oh, I'm not gonna get a date!" she sobbed aloud. Through her blurry vision she could see that only Chad was in the room. She cursed herself for her bad timing, but she was already beyond control. She ran over to the couch and flung herself face down upon it, crying into the cushions. "This has to be the most humiliating thing to ever happen in my entire life."

"Oh, shit," grumbled Chad over her cries. Like any boy, he was incredibly uncomfortable that she was crying in front of him. How should he comfort her? Did she even _want_ to be comforted?

Sharpay picked her head up. Her face was blotchy and she had tears and black mascara tracks running down her cheeks. Strands of her blonde hair was sticking to her face. "Chad, is something wrong with me?"

"What?" he asked, taken aback.

"Am I too much of a bitch?"

"Yes," said Chad truthfully.

"But no one cared before!" she wailed loudly, rolling over and sprawling herself on the couch. "This has never happened before. I _always_ have a date. Always. This is going to demote me from the top of the social ladder."

"No one cares, Sharpay," said Chad irritably. "Look, it's not the crisis situation that you imagine it is. No one will care or notice that you aren't there."

"They notice _everyone_ who's not there," snapped Sharpay, sitting up. "Last year all the bitches went around to every girl who didn't go and asked loudly enough for everyone to hear why they didn't get asked."

"You were one of them."

"All the more reason I need a date. My social position means _everything to me_."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Then go find someone to take you and stop bitching to me."

Sharpay blinked at him. "Oh, my God."

"What?"

"You don't have a date."

Chad's eyes widened. "No."

"Please?"

"No!"

Sharpay pouted. "_Please_?"

"Sharpay, no."

She burst into tears again, crawling over to the edge of the couch and gripping onto his arm. "Oh, Chad, please? I can't not have a date. I _need_ a date!"

Chad wrenched his arm out of her grasp. "Just do what you've done in the past to get dates."

"I can't! It's too late!" she exclaimed. "I always have to start my search at the beginning of the year and usually by the middle of September I already have a date. But since I was with Zeke until two weeks ago, every other guy already had someone in mind!"

Chad fidgeted uncomfortably. "Sharpay --"

"Chad, please?" she begged. "Please."

He swallowed and looked at her for a moment before heaving a huge sigh. "Fine."

She instantly stopped crying and jumped and down, squealing. "Oh thank you, Chad!" She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Chad removed her arms from around him. "I'm only doing this so neither of us feel stupid, you know."

"Oh, I don't care." She waved off his comment. "Yay, I get to wear my dress!" She leaned over and kissed Chad on the cheek, grabbed her purse, and trotted out of the room, leaving Chad alone, with his hand fluttering over the side of his face.

* * *

"Gabriella! Guess what?" came Sharpay's excited voice at seven the next morning.

Gabriella groaned very loudly. She threw the covers off her bed and rubbed her eyes. "Sharpay, why the _hell_ are you waking me up at seven on a Saturday?"

"Gabriella. We have a lot to do today," said Sharpay in an obvious tone.

"Like...?"

Sharpay laughed condescendingly. "Oh, Gabriella. Have you ever been to a formal dance like this before?"

"Um... no."

"Clearly."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Didn't you have something to tell me?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Oh yeah!" Sharpay's giddy excitement returned. "I have a date!"

"Really?" asked Gabriella, surprised. "Yeah, I was wondering why you decided to go. Who is it?"

"Chad."

There was a small silence and then Gabriella laughed. "No, really."

"Really."

"Stop it, Sharpay," giggled Gabriella.

"I'm serious."

"...what?"

"He agreed to take me yesterday."

"But... why?"

"You know, I'm not sure," said Sharpay thoughtfully. "I guess he didn't want to look like a loser either. But anyway," she continued quickly. "I made us and Taylor appointments at my salon for nine. We're getting our hair, nails, toes, and makeup done."

"Nine? But --"

"Again, Gabriella, we have a lot to do," repeated Sharpay. "The dance starts at seven and we have to get dressed!"

"It'll take a long time to get dressed?"

"And then pictures!"

"Pictures...?"

"Yes, pictures," she sighed. "I'm about to send out a text to everyone and tell them to meet at Troy's house an hour early."

"An hour!?"

"Yes!" she said exasperatedly. "Pictures and then we have to get to the dance early."

"Why?"

"To get in line! Jesus, Gabriella, you're lucky I'm here." Gabriella could almost see her shaking her head. "Well, I'll pick you up at eight-thirty!"

The dial tone sounded and Gabriella clicked off. She let out a breath and fell back on her bed, giving herself another hour of sleep.

* * *

"Okay, everyone, smile!" Sharpay flashed a large smile in the middle of the group of twelve.

The photographer she'd hired snapped away until Gabriella said, "Okay, my mouth hurts."

"Fine. Take five, and then we do our couples pictures!" Sharpay beamed around at everyone as the group disbanded and she walked over to Gabriella and Taylor. "_Look_ at her dress," she said in a low voice to the two.

Gabriella and Taylor rolled their eyes. "We know. You've been talking about it for the last twenty minutes!"

"But I just can't get over it!" Sharpay pressed. "It's just so... slutty!"

The three looked over at Baylee, who was wearing a short, red dress and matching peep-toed shoes. "Maybe it's a bit revealing," admitted Gabriella. "But she pulls it off!"

"Only whores can pull off dresses like that," snapped Sharpay.

"Well look at what you're wearing!" reasoned Taylor.

Sharpay looked down over her green dress. It reached her knees and was a halter top, but the entire back was cut out until right above her tail bone; she topped it off with silver stilettos. "What about it?" Her hair was half-up and tightly curled.

Taylor just rolled her eyes again. She herself was wearing a plain, black halter top dress that Allen couldn't help staring at. Especially around the chest area. She'd grown accustomed to crossing her arms.

Gabriella looked stunning in her white, sequence tube top dress that cut above her knees. She wore a silver chain link belt around it and black pumps. She kept pulling on the hem of it self-consciously and feeling at her fancy up-do. "I've never been this made-up before," she confessed.

"Shut up, you look fine." Sharpay shook her head annoyingly. "Okay, couple shots!" she said loudly. "Taylor, Allen, you go."

Taylor shot a desperate look at Sharpay but allowed herself to be led over to the camera by Allen. Her smile was stiff and small as the photographer snapped away, and after only a couple she said, "Okay, next."

Troy and Gabriella were the next couple, followed by Jason and Kelsi and Ryan and Martha.

"Sharpay, you're next," the photographer said.

Sharpay and Chad walked over to the photographer and smiled nervously at each other. "Um." Chad awkwardly placed his hand on Sharpay's lower back and she wrapped hers around his waist. They flashed smiles at the camera and the camera started clicking, over and over again. After about a minute, he lowered his camera and said, "That's it. Unless you, um, want me to take more...?"

"Oh, no." The two, blushing, quickly dropped their arms and stepped away from each other. Sharpay cleared her throat. "Thanks for the corsage," she said to Chad, fingering it. "It's really nice."

"No problem," said Chad, avoiding her gaze.

"Okay, the limo should be here in ten minutes, so I guess we're --" started Sharpay, but she was interrupted by Baylee.

"Um, Zeke and I haven't taken pictures yet."

Sharpay turned and glared at the two, who were holding hands. "Oops," she spat, stepping away so they could get theirs taken.

Sharpay stalked over to Gabriella and Taylor and crossed her arms, tapping her foot irritably "Look at what she's wearing."

* * *

"Nice," nodded Troy and Chad as they walked into the gym. There were tables and chairs, decorated with pink paper tablecloths and red and white confetti, set up all around the perimeter of the gym. The DJ booth was set up at the opposite end of the entrance, and a small group of people had already started dancing.

"Yay!" said Sharpay excitedly as she entered the gym, bobbing to the music. They'd arrived fifteen minutes early and had already had their professional pictures taken – as if they needed more. "Let's dance!"

Sharpay grabbed hands with Taylor and Gabriella and dragged them into the middle of the dance floor. They all started dancing close together, while the guys all stood outside the crowd. Kelsi and Martha had joined their own group of friends and Baylee had led Zeke off somewhere else. Allen, Troy, and Chad were left, their hands in the pockets of their slacks.

"So, this should fun," said Chad, bored.

"Yeah. I always forget why I hate dances... and then I arrive," stated Troy, watching Gabriella dance.

"Do you guys think Taylor is into me?" asked Allen.

Troy and Chad exchanged glances. "Uh... maybe."

"What do you think she'd do if I tried dancing with her now?"

Chad let out a snort, which was unheard over the deafening music. Both he and Troy ignored Allen, pretending they hadn't heard him.

"I'm gonna go," said Troy, and he pushed himself through the crowd to get to his girlfriend. He wrapped his around her waist from behind and pulled her close. The two started to dance against each other, and Sharpay winked obviously at Gabriella and she pulled Taylor away, giggling.

Chad watched her and Taylor dancing for a while, standing next to Allen. Nearly ten minutes later, he walked over to Sharpay without realizing what he was doing, and asked, "Do you wanna dance?"

Sharpay looked up at him in surprise. "Oh! Um, you don't have to!" she assured him, yelling over the music.

"Oh! Oh, yeah, okay, good," he stammered. "Yeah, I'll just... yeah."

He walked away and joined Allen, who was still staring at Taylor with a lustrous look on his face. Chad shook his head at the other boy and walked over to one of the tables, plopping himself down on a chair.

* * *

After an hour, Troy and Gabriella were sweaty and exhausted, but they refused to sit down. Gabriella had strands of curls falling out of her up-do and her face was flushed, along with Troy's. "Wow," she panted, snaking her arms around his neck as a slow song came on.

"You're a good dancer," smirked Troy.

She giggled and nestled her head in his chest, breathing in deeply. The two rocked back and forth in silence for a few moments, before Gabriella said, "I've never had a date to a dance before."

"Really?"

She nodded against him. "I'm really glad to be sharing my first one with you."

Troy tightened his grip around her.

Gabriella moved her head so that she was looking up at him, her chin on his chest. "I love you."

Troy blinked at her. "What was that?"

"I said... I said I love you."

He gaped. "I – I --"

"It's okay," said Gabriella quickly, her face red but no longer with exhaustion. "I mean... you don't have to, uh, to say it back."

He swallowed. "I just --"

"It's okay, Troy," she said, looking down.

"I'll --" He stopped. The song ended and the two instantly dropped hands. He cleared his throat and walked away, leaving Gabriella alone in the middle of the dance floor.

He searched around frantically for one of his friends, but they were all nowhere to be found. He looked around, nearly in vain, before finally coming across Ryan. "Ryan! Dude, where've you been?"

"Hiding from Martha," he said quickly, glancing around. "I think I lost her. Tell me if you see her. She's, uh, not hard to miss."

"Why are you hiding from her?" asked Troy, raising an eyebrow.

"She's clingy."

Troy nodded understandingly.

"So did you need something?"

"Dude." Troy took a deep breath. "Gabriella said she loved me!" he yelled, as a rap song began blaring over the speakers.

"And what did you do?"

"I... I ran away."

Ryan blinked at him and pushed him in the shoulder. "You're a dumbass."

"I'm a dumbass?" Troy repeated, cupping his ear. "I know! But I didn't know what to say to it."

"Hm. Yeah, that's a tough one," said Ryan sarcastically. "Oh, wait, I have an idea! Now, this might be a stretch here, but how about... 'I love you too?'"

"Ryan!" exclaimed Troy, stepping back. "I've heard the rumors, but I never thought --"

"No!" interrupted Ryan. "I mean, you should say that to _Gabriella_!"

"What about Gabriella?" Troy shouted.

"SAY 'I LOVE YOU' TO HER!"

"Oh. That's a good idea."

* * *

As a slow song started, Sharpay looked around the gym for her date, but he was nowhere to be found. "What the fuck," she said in a low voice. She whipped out her cell phone and called Chad. When he picked up, she said, "Where are you?"

"I left."

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah."

"Why?" she cried.

"Why not?"

"Because you're my date!"

"What's the definition of date, exactly?"

"Um... we take pictures, arrive together, dance, and leave together?"

"Oh," said Chad, as if with sudden realization. "But I thought you didn't want to dance."

"Well at certain times, yes."

"Mhm," said Chad sarcastically. "Yeah, well, I didn't really want to be your poodle that you could play with at your disposal."

"But Chaa-aad!" she whined.

"Sharpay, I'm not just gonna sit around and let you use me," snapped Chad.

Sharpay gasped, insulted. "Well, fine! I'll find some other guy to dance with me."

"Go right ahead." He hung up.

She growled in frustration as she snapped her phone shut. "_What_ is his problem?" she hissed to herself as she stalked onto the dance floor. She spied a guy standing alone and shook her hips as she approached him. After some strategic flirting, she managed to find a partner for the rest of the night

Gabriella, meanwhile, was sitting next to Taylor at one of the tables. "Why would he just run away?" she complained.

Taylor sighed. "Gabriella, I know we're, like, best friends. But you've already talked this matter to death."

"But I don't have any answers yet."

Taylor stared at her. "What makes you think you're getting them from _me_?"

"I'm gonna go find Troy," said Gabriella after a moment, standing up. She bustled off, leaving Taylor alone – but not for long.

"Hey Taylor," said Allen, sidling over to her.

Taylor gave him a tight smile.

* * *

At exactly midnight, Sharpay burst into the den. Once again, only Chad was there, seeing as most of their friends had gone out to eat following the dance. Sharpay, however, was too angry to go out. That and the fact that Taylor had left the dance immediately for her house to avoid Allen, same with Ryan to Martha, and Gabriella had gone... somewhere else.

"What makes you think that you can just leave your date?"

Chad sighed. "Haven't we been through this already?"

"I don't remember getting an answer."

"I remember giving you one."

"Refresh my memory."

"I believe it was something along the lines of – I don't want you using me."

"Why do you care?"

"That was also responded to."

"Not really." She sat down next to him and crossed her arms. "You just said you didn't want me to use you. But why do you_ care_ that I use you?"

Chad gave her a look. "No one likes to be used, Sharpay."

"Really, what did you expect?" she questioned. "You and I kinda hate each other."

"And?"

"And I'm surprised that you're, well, surprised."

"I'm not surprised."

"...what?"

"I'm just annoyed at myself for even agreeing to this."

Sharpay flushed. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I should never have wasted my time wearing nice clothes and buying a corsage for this stupid dance. All I did was sit there like a freak while you used me, like you do with Ryan."

"Well. I'm sorry I'm such a waste of your time."

Chad shrugged nonchalantly.

Sharpay glared daggers at him before getting up and stomping out of the den. Seconds later Gabriella walked in. "What's wrong with her?" she asked, pointing out the door.

Chad shrugged again.

"Where's Troy?"

Chad pointed. "Upstairs."

Gabriella jogged as fast as she could with aching feet up the stairs and into Troy's room. He was sitting on his basketball-themed bed, tossing a basketball pillow in the air. His blazer was crumpled on the floor next to his shoes and he sat up when Gabriella entered.

"Hi."

He swallowed. "Hi."

She fidgeted uncomfortably on her feet before saying, "I'm sorry, but I have to take these off." She kicked off her pumps and breathed a sigh of relief. She took out a couple of bobby pins that were digging into her skull and tossed them on the floor. "Sorry."

He shook his head. "No, it's okay." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and scratched his arm.

"Look." Gabriella walked over to his bed and sat down next to him. She took his hands in hers and said, "I just wanted to let you know that, what I said earlier, it's totally fine if you don't say it back."

"Gabriella --"

"Let me finish," she protested. She took a breath and plowed on, "I only said it because it was how I felt at the moment – okay, it's still how I feel. But, it's just – you know, we've been through so much together and we've been a couple for nine months so I just thought... you know, during the dance, it would be a nice place to --"

"I love you too."

Gabriella froze. She blinked and stared at him. "What?"

Troy leaned in closer. "I love you." He cupped her face and kissed her softly. When he pulled away, she had tears in her eyes. "Are you crying?" he asked incredulously.

She coughed. "No."

"It's cute."

"Then yes."

Troy laughed and kissed her again, and was shocked when she flung her arms around his neck and responded with hunger. He was taken aback but met her aggressiveness, holding her tightly around the waist. She crawled on top of him and they made out fiercely.

After a few minutes they pulled back for breath, and Gabriella whispered, "I'm ready."

"Ready? To go home?"

"No. I'm ready to do it."

"Do what?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm ready to have sex with you, Troy Bolton!"

"Oh!" Troy's eyebrows flew up. "Oh." He grinned suggestively.

She smiled seductively. "Hurry up, before I change my mind."

* * *

**AN:** Sorry for the lack of TxG. I hope this makes up for it!

**UP NEXT:**

Troy and Gabriella are avoiding each other, and Sharpay meddles in someone else's business.


	11. Sunday Kind Of Love

**AN:** Thanks for the reviews, as always!

The chapter title comes from the musical _Jersey Boys_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Sunday Kind Of Love_

Gabriella was frozen.

She wasn't sure if it was safe to move yet, but frankly, she didn't care. She'd been sitting still for an hour while Troy snored next to her, making sure it was "safe." Well, if it wasn't safe yet, it never would be, she told herself.

She slowly untangled herself from his bed sheets and shivered as her naked body hit the cool air. She found her underwear, bra, and dress scattered around the room and dressed herself, picking up her shoes without even putting them on. She looked at herself in the mirror – her once-perfect makeup was smudged, and her hair was frizzy and only half of it was still up. She didn't mind though. It was two in the morning, so no one would be seeing her.

Gabriella tiptoed down the stairs. She passed Becca and Jack's silent room, and Lila's not-so-silent one – although she refused to imagine Troy's grandmother doing the same thing she'd been doing an hour earlier – and crept out the house through the den. She thanked God that no one had decided to crash at Troy's house for the night, something their friends randomly did without notice. She hopped into her car and made a mental note to thank Sharpay for making her drive instead of walking earlier in the day – apparently her hair would've gotten ruined.

She reached her house within minutes and snuck up to her room, glad her mother had not decided to attempt another all-night marathon of Desperate Housewives. She opened the door to her bedroom and sighed out in relief at being alone, but nearly screamed and fell over when she turned around.

"Sharpay!" she hissed, holding her hand over her heart as she slid to the ground. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Sharpay was sitting on Gabriella's bed watching TV, dressed in a pair of pajama sweats and a Justin Timberlake concert T-shirt. Her makeup was off and her hair was slightly damp – clearly she'd showered out all the hairspray and gel that was put into it.

"Oh, you're finally here!"

"Why are _you_ here?"

"Homecoming sucked."

Gabriella sighed. "Tell me about it."

"Did you know Chad ditched me? That ass."

Gabriella tossed her shoes into her closet and started taking all the remaining pins out of her hair. "Why?"

Sharpay sighed and grabbed one of Gabriella's pillows, placing it on her crossed legs and leaning on it. "He said I was using him. Which is _so_ not true, might I add."

"Um. It isn't?"

"No!"

"Explain to me the difference."

"Well... well, I didn't --" stammered Sharpay. "I – look, it's just different!"

"Mhm." Gabriella dabbed some eye makeup remover onto a cotton ball and started wiping at her eyes. "Sounds like it."

"Well, where've _you_ been?" asked Sharpay. "The dance ended at eleven-thirty and you've been God knows where for the past two and a half hours. Luckily I saved your ass from your mom's wandering eyes."

"You did?"

"Yeah. I said Taylor got dumped and you were comforting her until who knew when."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Everything nice that you do is always encumbered by something... not so nice."

"Taylor'll never know," waved off Sharpay. "But again – _where were you_?"

Blushing, Gabriella said, "Nowhere."

Sharpay sighed. "I hate when people answer with nowhere. Like I'm really gonna believe that you were --" she used quotations with her fingers, "'nowhere.'"

"I don't say it because I think you'll believe it. I say it because when someone says 'nowhere,' it hints that they don't want to talk about it!"

"If you didn't want to talk about it, you shouldn't have done it."

"Sharpay --"

"Tell me," she growled threateningly.

Gabriella sighed. "Fine! Fine." She looked through the mirror at Sharpay and said, "I did it with Troy."

Sharpay squealed loudly. "Oh, my God, that's what I thought it was!"

"Sh!" hissed Gabriella. "My mom's room is right below us --"

"Yay, you did it! Finally! It's about time, you're almost eighteen, so --"

"Shut up!" Gabriella whispered again, pointing downwards.

"So wasn't it totally awesome?" continued Sharpay, ignoring Gabriella's pleas. "I want all the details."

"Sharpay!"

"What? I would've given _you_ details if you'd asked."

"Well, there's a reason I didn't."

"_I'm_ asking, so you have to give them."

"No I don't."

"Gabriell-aa!" she whined.

"You don't wanna know."

Sharpay gasped. "Oh no."

"What?"

Sharpay looked at Gabriella with pity. "He was bad, wasn't he?"

"What? No, I --"

"Wait until everyone hears that Troy Bolton is bad in bed!"

"Sharpay --"

"Oh, my God, this is going to be _awesome_!" Sharpay grabbed her phone, but Gabriella dived onto her bed and knocked it out of her hands. "Gabriella!"

"Sharpay, he's not bad in bed!" exclaimed Gabriella in a clear voice.

Sharpay frowned. "Oh." She bit her lip. "Would you mind if I spread it around anyway?"

"I swear to God, I will throw your phone off the balcony."

Sharpay folded her arms. "Fine. So why are you so embarrassed of it?"

"Well... because it's, you know, sex."

"Gabriella, you're seventeen, not twelve. Sex isn't something you giggle and blush about anymore."

She gaped. "I --"

"Unless you're more immature than I thought."

"It was awkward, okay?"

"Awkward?"

Gabriella blushed again. "It was... weird. The entire time we were just... I don't know."

"I'm really glad you've cleared this up. Because, now I know _exactly_ what you mean."

"It... well first of all, it _felt_ weird."

"What?!" Sharpay gasped in horror.

Gabriella nodded. "It didn't feel good at all."

"No. Way."

"You think I'd lie?"

Sharpay looked shocked, unable to fathom that someone could have sex and not enjoy it. "Oh, my God." Gabriella nodded solemnly.

"Yeah. The entire time it was awkward. And then when it was done we just kinda laid there... and he fell asleep... and I left."

"You haven't talked to him about it?"

"No!" exclaimed Gabriella, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Sharpay narrowed her eyes. "So you're just planning on never talking about it again?"

Gabriella nodded. "That's the plan."

"Do you _really_ think that's gonna happen?"

"... if this were a perfect world, it would."

Sharpay pushed her off the bed. "Well the world isn't perfect, dumbass."

Gabriella gaped at her. "What was that for?"

"For being a dumbass!"

"I'm not a dumbass!"

"You're a stupid dumbass who just lost their virginity and didn't even enjoy it!"

Gabriella stood up angrily. "I am not!"

"You so are. Dumbass."

Folding her arms angrily, Gabriella snapped, "Well, fine then!" She grabbed some pajamas and huffed, "_I'm_ gonna shower."

"Good, 'cause you smell like bad sex!" Sharpay called after her, and Gabriella retaliated by throwing a hairbrush at her.

* * *

"I can't believe you and Troy haven't talked since you did it," Taylor muttered to Gabriella during rehearsals Monday after school. "It's been, like, a day."

"Yeah. So?"

"So?" repeated Taylor. "So, how exactly have you been avoiding him? We all pretty much live at his house."

"I told him I spent the day out with my mom."

"When in actuality...?"

"I was trying to forget about our horrible sex."

Taylor sighed. "Just talk to him about it! He'll understand."

"Well he seemed to be, uh... enjoying it."

Rolling her eyes, Taylor responded, "He's a guy. He'd enjoy it even if you were sleeping."

"Taylor McKessie, that is rape!" cried Gabriella, outraged.

Kay sauntered by them. "Who would rape _you_?" she sneered.

The two other girls glared as she skipped up to the stage. "I swear, when Sharpay graduates, she will be the new Princess Bitch," commented Gabriella.

"We've found her replacement for the drama queen post," agreed Taylor.

"Oh, you're talking about Kay?" said Chad knowingly as he sat down behind them.

The two nodded.

"Yeah, I have to be nice to her 'cause she's playing my sister." He made a face.

"Oh, good, I can be mean to her!" said Gabriella with realization. "Because I'm racist and everything."

"Where were you yesterday?" asked Chad, looking at her.

She flushed but said quickly, "Spending time with my mom."

Taylor laughed. "No, she wasn't."

"Taylor!"

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Everyone's gonna know soon!"

"Know what?"

"Nothing!"

"Everyone involved in the final dance number, come up here please!"

Gabriella, Taylor, and Chad stood up and started walking up the stage. Chad hung back and muttered to Taylor, "What were you talking about?"

"Troy and Gabriella had bad sex," she replied.

Chad's eyes widened and he smirked.

* * *

"I'm breaking up with Kelsi."

Gabriella, Sharpay, and Chad glanced up in surprise as Jason walked into the den.

"Aw, why?" asked Gabriella sadly.

Jason shrugged. "I'm bored with her."

Gabriella opened her mouth in outrage. "You're such a jerk!" she cried.

Jason looked alarmed. "Why?"

"You're _bored_ with her?"

"Yes...?" Jason looked around shiftily, unaware of his mistake.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Well I guess if you don't already get it... you never will."

Jason looked around. "Where's Troy?"

Gabriella coughed as Sharpay answered, "Helping Lila paint her toenails for her date tonight."

"Why are you red?" asked Jason to Gabriella.

"I'm not!"

"You are." He looked around at Sharpay and Chad. "Why is she red?"

"No reason," said Sharpay and Chad at the same time, both with tones of knowing a secret. They whipped around and stared at each other at the sound of each other's answers.

"What do you mean by that?" snapped Sharpay.

"I meant, 'no reason!'"

"You don't say 'no reason' like that."

"Well, _you_ said it like that too."

"Sharpay," said Gabriella warningly.

"I didn't tell him!" she cried defensively. "Why would I? I don't even _like_ him! It's actually a very severe form of dislike. Hatred, even."

"The feeling is mutual," added Chad.

Jason looked back and forth between the three of them. "What's going on...?" he asked, unsurely.

"Nothing!" the three exclaimed quickly.

Troy trotted into the room and Gabriella immediately jumped up. "Well, I have to do some homework..."

"Gabriell-aa!" sang Sharpay. "You don't have homework."

"I – I do too."

"Really?" said Sharpay with fake innocence. "Because you told me on the way here that today is your first day without any homework..." She furrowed her brow in mock confusion. "Were you lying to me?"

Gabriella flushed and chanced a glance at Troy, who was avoiding her gaze. "I --"

"Oh, you weren't? Good. Sit down." She yanked Gabriella's arm so that the latter fell back beside her.

Chad smirked. "Troy, why are you still standing?"

Troy shifted uncomfortably. "I – um --"

Sharpay sent a sharp look at Chad. "What do you mean?"

"I KNEW YOU TOLD HIM!" shrieked Gabriella.

"I didn't tell him anything!"

"You mean about – you two?" asked Chad, motioning to Troy and Gabriella, and the two girls nodded. "Taylor told me."

Gabriella gasped and Sharpay looked triumphant. "I _told_ you it wasn't me. I'm a good friend." She smiled proudly.

"I'm gonna kill Taylor."

"Wait – what's going on?" asked Troy apprehensively.

"Gabriella told us you guys had bad sex," said Sharpay matter-of-factly.

Gabriella glared so viscously at Sharpay that the blonde actually leaned back. "'Good friend?'" Gabriella spat.

"Whoa, you guys did it?" Jason stood up and clapped Troy on the back. "Only took nine months, man!"

Gabriella glared at Jason too, but he didn't seem to notice because he kept talking.

"We were all taking bets on when she would finally put out – you bypassed all of them, though --"

"Shut up," said Troy through gritted teeth. Gabriella stalked over to Jason and hit him in the back of the head.

"Hey! What the hell?"

"Can you guys give us some privacy?" asked Troy of Chad, Jason, and Sharpay.

Chad and Jason reluctantly stood up, but Sharpay folded her arms and said defiantly, "I can't leave Gabriella in this desperate time."

"Yes, you can," snapped Gabriella, gripping Sharpay's arm and lifting her up, pushing her toward the door.

Sharpay gasped, offended. "Well, if _that's_ how it is!" She stomped out of the den after Chad and Jason, slamming the door behind her.

There was an awkward silence.

"Hi," said Gabriella lamely.

"So what exactly did you tell them?" asked Troy bluntly.

"I – well, I only told Sharpay and Taylor!" she said quickly.

"They were clearly the wrong people."

"Sharpay beat it out of me and I never would think that Taylor would tell people."

"Which brings me back to my first question – _what_ did you tell them?"

"Um." She cleared her throat nervously. "Well, just that... um..." She took a deep breath, and said quickly, "I said sex was awkward."

Troy sighed in relief. "Oh my God, you thought so too?"

"What? Yes."

He heaved another sigh. "Oh, good."

Gabriella looked at him strangely. "This is a relief for you?"

"Well. Yeah."

"So me thinking that you were bad in bed is _good_?"

"Well you were bad too, so..."

She opened her mouth. "Not fair! I was a virgin."

"So was I!"

"Well... you're the guy."

"That's sexist."

"Guys deserve some sexism. Women had it forever. We only got voting rights less than a hundred years ago."

"Yeah, now you sound like Taylor."

"Yeah, well." She paused. "Okay, what are we gonna do about the bad sex thing? Because I'm really not that eager to do it again."

"I am."

She sighed. "Well okay then. But we both suck." She pouted. "How is it that Sharpay and Zeke are so good and we're so bad?"

Troy walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Practice makes perfect."

She shrugged. "I guess. I'm just not in the mood..."

Troy leaned over and kissed her softly on the neck. "Are you in the mood now?"

She giggled. "Almost."

He kissed his way up her neck and to her mouth, pressing aggressively and leading her over to the couch. Before they could get much farther than a couple good feels, the door burst open and they broke apart.

"Yeah, now I'm not."

Troy sat up and glared at Jason and Sharpay, who were both running into the den and yelling at each other. Chad followed, amused.

"I can't believe you did that!" roared Jason.

Sharpay folded her arms, not bothered. "What did you expect? That I would sit back and let you dump her?"

"Yes!"

"I may be a bitch, but I stand by my girls."

"Hurry, tell us what's up," said Troy impatiently.

"Sharpay texted Kelsi and told her I wanted to dump her!"

"Which was true!" Sharpay reminded him.

"You told her!?" exclaimed Gabriella.

Sharpay nodded.

Jason continued, "And I just got a text from Kelsi, and she dumped me!"

Gabriella burst into laughter. "That sucks for you!"

"Yeah, it really does," said Troy hurriedly, grabbing Gabriella's hand. "Well, see ya." He dragged her out of the den and into the hallway, making a beeline for his room.

"Aww, they're sex addicts now!" said Sharpay proudly.

"Don't change the subject! You just got me dumped!" said Jason angrily.

Sharpay sighed. "Oh Jason. You were going to get dumped anyway."

He was taken aback. "Really?"

Sharpay nodded with fake sympathy. "Kelsi wouldn't have stayed with you much longer. You're a little dull for her."

Chad laughed out loud. "Wow, Sharpay got you there, as much as I hate to admit it."

There was a loud thud from above them, followed by laughter. Sharpay made a face. "Uh, I don't want to hear them do it."

Chad looked at her pointedly. "And now you know what it was like for us to hear you doing it with Zeke."

"Don't mention that jackass to me!"

Another thud sounded above, and they started to hear Gabriella's voice. "Oh, Troy..."

"Um, yeah, I'm gone," said Sharpay, and the three of them ran as fast as they could out of the den.

* * *

**AN:** So, this chapter was fairly uneventful. Just some awkward situations and humor, I suppose.

**UP NEXT:**

Opening night for "Hairspray." The cast decides to pull a prank on Kay.


	12. Opening Night

**AN:** Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad people are enjoying this story. Hopefully it's good enough to keep you interested for 40 chapters. 40 chapters... damn, I still don't know how I wrote all that.

So I'm home from school today... and I have a bunch of stuff I wanna write... but I didn't do any of it. Instead, I've watched 2 discs of The Office and now I'm watching That '70s Show. And right now I'm bored and don't want to do homework, so now I'm posting this.

The chapter title comes from the musical _The Producers_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Opening Night_

"No talking! No horse-play! Don't even _breathe_ unless it's in direct relation to the musical!"

Chad groaned as Ms. Darbus yelled at them for the twentieth time in the last half hour. Most of the cast was sprawled about the theatre, bored out of their minds, as Darbus criticized the orchestra.

"I'm. Going. To. Die," said Chad as the group of friends sat in a few seats in the middle. Most of them were taking advantage of the down time by doing their homework. "Why do we have to stay here 'til fucking ten o' clock?"

"That's just how Darbus works," responded Gabriella, solving a Calculus problem. "She kicks rehearsals into high gear the week before."

"I can't believe we open tomorrow," said Martha nervously.

"You'll be great!" said Taylor encouragingly.

"Um, when do we rehearse the kissing scenes?" asked Martha, chancing a glance at Ryan.

"Never," responded Troy.

"WHAT!?" yelped Chad.

"Ms. Darbus doesn't like having rehearsed kisses. At least, first kisses," explained Gabriella. "Ryan and I can rehearse ours, but Martha and Ryan, and you and Sharpay can't."

"Isn't that good?" asked Sharpay of Chad. "We have to kiss less."

"We have to _rehearse_!"

"Why?" asked Gabriella suspiciously.

"Because I have to get over my repulsion of having to kiss Sharpay before we're actually performing. I just might ruin the show."

"How?" asked Sharpay angrily. "Gonna throw me off the stage?"

"Yes."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, if you do, I will single-handedly cut off your limbs. And if I decide to take pity, your head too."

"Then you better hope we can rehearse it."

"Good luck," scoffed Gabriella. "I was so nervous about Troy's and my kiss, because we weren't going out then, and I begged and begged Ms. Darbus to let us rehearse but she wouldn't let me. I even tried crying but not even _that_ worked."

"Oh, that's why you were asking her?" asked Kelsi. "I thought it was for a different reason..."

Chad frowned. "Well, if her favorite student crying won't soften her up, I don't think my charm will."

"Charm," snorted Sharpay.

"What did I tell you about talking!?" shrieked Ms. Darbus frantically.

Kay, who was sitting up on the stage, smirked over at them. "Yeah, shut up."

"I swear to God, I'm gonna mess with her," mumbled Chad out of the corner of his mouth, as Ms. Darbus was still glaring at them.

Once she looked away, Sharpay responded, "Totally."

"Let's do something to her on opening night," said Taylor excitedly.

"Embarrass her!" suggested Gabriella.

"Wait, you're all cool with this?"

"Cool with it?" repeated Troy. "We're just glad someone finally said it."

"What do you think we should do?" inquired Ryan.

Chad smirked. "I have an idea..."

* * *

Opening night was one of the most chaotic events in most of the teenager's lives. Since the production of Hairspray required such an abnormally large cast – especially in comparison with the original compositions East High usually put on – Ms. Darbus, even with Mrs. Buchanan at her side, was having an incredibly hard time telling each and every person what to do.

"Miss McKessie! Get your wig on!" she snapped at Taylor, who was talking with Gabriella in the girl's dressing room. "You too, Miss Montez! And Miss Nielson! And --"

"I know, Ms. Darbus," interrupted Martha before the teacher could even mention her name.

The show wasn't due to start for another hour, but already everyone was on edge. They'd come to the theatre directly after school and had run through the production without stopping. Ms. Darbus still had some "problems" with it, but not enough to actually postpone the show – something she'd threatened them with the week before because everyone was "having fun."

Sharpay was in the wardrobe room, digging through the clothes to find her first outfit, when she bumped into Chad. "Hey!" she snapped.

Chad rolled his eyes. "In an hour, we have to act like we're in love." He made a face. "Best start acting at least a little nice to each other, don't you think?"

She sighed. "Fine." She looked around. "Have you seen Penny's costume?"

He shook his head. "Nope, sorry."

Sharpay was clearly distressed about something. Besides the fact that she nearly threw a hissy fit when she couldn't locate the costume, she also had a nervous expression on her face. Her eyes were dull and her face held an unmoving frown.

"Um... is something bothering you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh."

Chad blinked. "'Ugh'? Is that a new word now? Does it mean 'yes'?"

"No," she snapped, but caught herself. "I mean, no, Chad, it does not mean 'yes.' It is a sound one makes while annoyed."

"What's bothering you?" he asked.

"Why do you care?"

"Because in an hour, you and I are, again, going to have to act like a happy couple. We can't exactly do that if you're PMSing about something."

She glared at him but held her tongue. "It's stupid. But today, I talked to Zeke."

Chad waited for her to continue, but apparently that was the extent of the story. "Oh, no, not Zeke!" he cried sarcastically.

"Shut up! It was hard, okay?" She sounded sincerely bothered, so Chad backed down.

"What did he say?"

She sighed. "Well... it wasn't anything bad. Just, like, good luck or whatever." She frowned. "But... it was the first time he and I had spoken one-on-one since we broke up."

Chad was silent, unsure of what to say.

"And then that whore bounded up to him and they started making out." Sharpay wrinkled her nose in disgust. "They probably went home and had sex outside like the whores they _both_ are."

"You had sex outside," Chad reminded her.

"Yeah, but not with some guy I stole away from another girl!" said Sharpay in an obvious tone.

He blinked. "Um, okay."

She shook her head. "I don't even know why I care. I didn't, like, love Zeke. Not the way Troy and Gabriella love each other." She frowned. "It's just... ugh. I may not have loved him, but it's still upsetting that he felt the need to cheat, you know?"

Chad was definitely uncomfortable now. "Are you sure you wanna be talking to me about this?"

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Fine. You may leave."

"Well, if it _does_ make you feel any better... we're gonna make out during the play. And Zeke is coming. Even though, it'll be during a performance... and something we're required to do..."

He instantly thought he'd said the wrong thing, but clearly it wasn't. Her face lit up and she squealed happily. "Oh my gosh, you're right! He's gonna see me kiss another guy!" She beamed.

"Sharpay, are you in here?" called Mrs. Buchanan, sticking her head in the door. She held up Penny's costume. "Here, we had to make some adjustments."

"Oh, okay!" she said cheerfully, skipping out of the room and leaving Chad alone to wonder how his words could possibly have made the situation better.

* * *

"I'm going to throw up," said Martha nervously, seconds before curtain.

"It's okay," soothed Gabriella.

Sharpay nodded. "Just try not to think about the hundreds of people here for opening night. Did you know it's sold out?"

Martha's face whitened and Gabriella glared at Sharpay.

"What?" asked Sharpay defensively. "All I can say is, if Martha chickens out, _I'm_ taking over her role."

The drums signaling the beginning of "Good Morning Baltimore" began playing, and Ms. Darbus hissed, "Miss Cox, you're on!"

Martha took one final, calming breath before rushing out on the stage. "_Oh, oh, oh_!"

"Damnit," hissed Sharpay under her breath.

"Miss Evans! Stop playing with your hair!"

"Well, this hair _sucks_!" snapped Sharpay. "Why can't we give Penny, like, normal hair?"

"No one in Hairspray has normal hair," Gabriella reminded her.

"Penny wants to be different."

Chad shimmied up behind them. "No one touch this black towel."

The two girls smirked. "Is that for --"

He nodded.

"Perfect. Before the curtain call?"

He nodded again.

"MISS MONTEZ!" shrieked Ms. Darbus so loudly that they were surprised it wasn't heard over Martha's singing. "WHERE IS YOUR WIG? 'GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE' IS ALMOST OVER!"

"Oh shit," said Gabriella hurriedly, her hands flying up to her hair. She sprinted into the hair and makeup room, searching for her blonde wig.

"Mr. Danforth! Your hair isn't done yet, either!"

Chad groaned. "What the fuck is with her and everyone's hair?"

Sharpay blinked. "Need I remind you of the title?"

"Okay, Corny, Amber, Link, and company, you're up!"

Troy and Gabriella appeared right behind Chad and Sharpay, suited up. Troy was wearing a gray suit, his hair matted down on his head and holding a stage microphone. Gabriella's hair was pinned up under a blonde up-do wig, and she was wearing a '60s pink dress with white gloves.

"Good luck," said Troy sweetly, kissing Gabriella on the mouth.

"Mr. Bolton, you're messing up her lipstick!" cried Ms. Darbus, rushing forward. "Oh, there's no time to fix it. Go!" She waved them off as the opening notes for "Nicest Kids in Town" started.

"Is she going to be like this all night?" asked Chad of Sharpay tentatively.

"Oh, yes."

"MR. DANFORTH, YOUR HAIR!"

* * *

Intermission came not a moment too soon. Everyone was exhausted from all the non-stop singing and dancing, and pretty much collapsed in their respective dressing rooms as the curtain closed.

In the girl's room, Sharpay, Gabriella, and Taylor were sprawled out on the couch.

"I am so tired," sighed Gabriella. "And I haven't even been on stage for the last half hour."

"The brunt is over though," Taylor reminded them. "There's twelve songs in the first act and eight in the second."

"One of those is You Can't Stop The Beat!" complained Sharpay. "The worst one."

Kay scampered over to them. "You're tired already?" she sneered. "Wow, I just danced in the last two numbers and _I'm_ fine! You guys must be really out of shape."

"You're sweating," Sharpay pointed out.

Kay glared. "It's _glisten_," she snapped, and skipped off.

Sharpay gritted her teeth. "I cannot wait 'til the curtain call."

"Anyway," said Taylor. "I thought Troy was going to murder someone when you kissed Ryan, Gabriella."

"What?"

"You didn't see him?" giggled Sharpay.

"He looked constipated," continued Taylor, "'cause he was trying not to explode."

Gabriella rolled his eyes. "Didn't he, like, _know_ I was going to be kissing Ryan? And that we practiced it just earlier today?"

"Oh, I was watching earlier. He didn't see it the first time."

"Does that matter?"

"Apparently so."

Gabriella made a sound of annoyance but changed the subject. "So Sharpay, how was your and Chad's finger kiss?"

"Oh it was amazing. Best kiss of my life," said Sharpay dryly. "And then the fainting afterwards, so me."

"Yeah, it looked romantic," said Taylor.

Sharpay sighed. "Well. In an hour we'll be locking lips." She made a face, but then it brightened. "And Zeke will be watching. He'll eat his heart out."

"You _do_ realize that he knows it's scripted, right?" said Taylor tentatively.

"Yes," snapped Sharpay. "But still."

Gabriella reached under her wig and started to scratch. "I _hate_ this thing!" she burst out. "Sharpay, you're so lucky. You're, like, the only girl who doesn't need a wig."

"Are you kidding? I'd so rather have a wig!" Sharpay complained. She touched a hand to the trademark Penny pig-tail curls, flinching. "My hair is pulled back so tight that my scalp is going to be permanently raw."

"It's not that bad," said Taylor, rolling her eyes.

Sharpay stared her down. "I won't even need a face lift because of this."

"So, isn't that good?"

She paused, before adding, "Yeah, I guess."

Ms. Darbus burst into the room. "Are you all getting ready?" Her eyes popped at the sight of Taylor, Gabriella, and Sharpay sprawled out on the couch. "WHY HAVEN'T YOU THREE CHANGED YET?"

The girls in question jumped up. "Sorry, Ms. Darbus!" cried Gabriella breathlessly, and the girls started to dig through the wardrobe pile for their next set of clothes.

"You have wasted half of intermission _sleeping_!"

"We weren't sleeping," protested Taylor. "We were --"

"They _were_, Ms. Darbus," cut in Kay, who had already changed into her next costume. "I tried to wake them up, but they yelled at me."

"How could we have yelled at you if we were sleeping?" asked Sharpay loudly.

Ms. Darbus chided, "Well, you'll have to work double time!" She walked out of the girls' room and slammed the door behind her. Kay sent them a sneer.

"I can't wait until the end of the show," echoed Taylor of Sharpay's words.

* * *

"_You can't stop an avalanche as it races down the hill. You can try to stop the seasons, girl, but you know you never will._"

The final number had come, and even though everyone was exhausted from the constant motion they'd been in for the last three hours, everyone seem to get a surge of energy as "You Can't Stop The Beat" began. It was an unspoken agreement that said song was the best – even if they had nicknamed it "You Can't Catch Your Breath."

"_Ever since this old world began, a woman found out if she shook it she could shake up a man!_"

Ryan, as Link, joined Martha on stage as they started the chorus, and everyone in the audience seemed to receive the energy the actors had on stage, and everyone stood up and clapped along.

Sharpay poked her head around the curtain. Her entrance wasn't until the second verse, so she had time to catch her breath before exhausting herself more.

She'd done it. She kissed Chad. And it wasn't terrible. She hadn't even been thinking of Zeke as she did it – in fact, she hadn't remembered he was in the audience until a few minutes later. Even though she didn't like him in that way, Chad was a _really good_ kisser.

"_What do ya have to say, Penny_?" intoned Martha, and Sharpay ran onto the stage, scolding herself silently for almost missing her cue.

"_I am now a checkerboard chick_!" She smirked over at Chad, on the other side of the stage. "_You can't stop a river as it rushes to the sea._"

Gabriella stood at the very back of the stage, next to Troy. Amber only participated at the very end of the song, so she was forced to stand at the back and pretty much hide herself for the next five minutes. Luckily, though, her mic was turned off.

"Glad Ryan can make out with Martha instead of me, now?" she asked her boyfriend, slightly bitter.

"As a matter of fact, yes," said Troy, and Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you would get so annoyed at me kissing another guy _in a musical_," she said, annoyed.

"Gabriella, I love you. Is it so bad to want to keep you to myself?" Troy pouted. "Now, the next time I kiss you, it'll almost be like I'm kissing Ryan."

"It will not."

"Technically it will. His DNA is on your lips, and when I kiss you next, his DNA will be on _my_ lips."

"You are such a freak." However, a hint of a smile was on her face.

"Yeah, but you love it." He went to put his arm around her, but before he could, she shoved him.

"No!" she hissed. "We're still in the middle of the play, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Troy glanced at the front of the stage, and spied Jason performing as Edna. He snorted. "I still can't get over that."

"_And you just can't stop my knife and fork when I see, a Christmas ham!_"

"I'm proud of him," said Gabriella. "I mean, it takes a lot of balls to do that. I don't think you could've."

"I have a lot of balls!" protested Troy.

Gabriella smirked at him. "You think?"

Troy gaped at her in horror. "Oh, my God, you think I'm --"

She giggled. "I'm just messing with you, Troy."

He sighed in relief. "Oh good. Because I always thought I was big."

"Well. Average."

"_Average?_"

Unbeknownst to Troy, it was his line, and his mic had been turned on, so his comment had been heard by the entire audience. His eyes widened and he turned red, and Gabriella stuffed her fists in her mouth to keep from giggling. Kelsi had appeared next to her, and blinked in confusion, but said her line anyway. "_Corny, you have to do something! The show--_"

"_No, this is the future, Velma_," interrupted Troy, trying to get over his embarrassment. He bypassed Kelsi and Gabriella and approached Taylor, who was standing on stage right with Kay and some of the dancers. "_Come on, Maybelle._"

"_Step aside, buttercup_," Taylor spat at Kelsi. "_It's time to wrap this mutha' up!_"

Troy walked back to his post at the back of the stage, and Gabriella whispered as she passed, "Smooth."

Troy narrowed his eyes at her but didn't say anything. She smiled innocently and walked off to side stage with Kelsi.

"_Yesterday is history, and it's never comin' back! 'Cause tomorrow is a brand new day and it don't know white from black!_"

Gabriella swayed on the spot for a little bit as the chorus started, and said lowly to Kelsi. "Ugh, I wish I could play Penny."

She watched Taylor dancing the lead, Kay glaring because she couldn't join in, Sharpay and Chad dancing with easy chemistry, Ryan forcing a smile as he held hands with Martha, Jason's face red while dressed in drag, and Troy dancing in place in Corny Collins fashion.

"_Come on, you Von Tussles! Go on, shake your funny muscles!_"

Gabriella almost missed her cue, remembering just in time when Kelsi grabbed her hand to drag her onto center stage.

"_We can't!_"

"_Yes you can!_"

"_No, we can't!_"

"_Yes, you can!_"

"_Yes, we can! Ever since we first saw the sun it seems the Von Tussle girls are always trying to please someone!_"

* * *

The actors were all off stage, and the curtain was closed. Their faces were red and flushed, their breathing heavy, but they were all beaming. Ms. Darbus was talking a mile a minute, criticizing Kelsi for a dance move mistake, and Troy for forgetting his mic was on, and Martha for almost flubbing her lines. None of them were really listening though.

"You did great!" squealed Gabriella to Sharpay, hugging her.

"Thanks," said Sharpay, looking superior. "I did feel that I outshined Martha a bit. Maybe I can play Tracy in future shows..."

On the other side of the stage, Kay was trying to pretend that she wasn't out of breath, while Chad smirked next to her. He was holding a black towel in his hands, standing close to Kay.

Luckily, she took the bait as the curtain call began. "Give me that," she said bitchily, grabbing the towel, unfolding it, and putting her face in it. She dabbed her entire face with it, and when she removed it, a sort of black liquid was smeared on her forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin. "Why is it wet?"

"Water," said Chad readily.

"Oh." She gave him a snooty smile. "I hope it wasn't for _you_."

"Oh no," said Chad, with fake innocence. "All for you." He looked out on the stage. "Oh, you're up!"

Key flipped her hair back and stalked onto the stage, looking triumphantly around at the audience. Chad heard the applause falter slightly, but then it started up again amid cheers and whistles. Kay, under the impression that the enthusiastic response was due to her performance, took a fancy bow before begrudgingly joining hands with her costars and taking another bow. Chad stifled his laughs with his hand as Kay beamed around, unaware of the black paint covering her face.

A few moments later, Chad trotted onto the stage and waved out at the audience, who were yelling louder than ever. He met Sharpay at center stage and grinned at her. She smiled back, and they joined hands and bent over in a bow. Then they stepped back to allow Martha and Ryan some room, and Sharpay whispered, "Nice job with Kay."

Chad laughed. "Yeah. She totally believed me when I told her the towel had water in it. I guess she doesn't know that water usually isn't that thick."

She giggled. "I can't wait to see her tomorrow."

"You did great tonight, Sharpay," said Chad suddenly.

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Chad. So did you." She hesitated, and then added, "And it wasn't as horrible to kiss you as I thought it would be."

"I'm touched," said Chad dramatically.

But before the conversation count continue, they were interrupted by Martha and Ryan stepping between them. The four of them bowed, and then stepped back to also join up with Taylor, Gabriella, Kelsi, Troy, Jason, Allen, and Kay. The audience screamed louder than ever as they bowed one last time, and the curtain closed.

* * *

**AN:** Soo... nothing really happened in this chapter... but oh well. Zeke is in the next chapter, though, for any of his fans.

**UP NEXT:**

Halloween. Sharpay and Zeke are unanimous in their plans.


	13. Halloween

**AN:** I really shouldn't post this chapter, because I haven't written chapter 39 yet... but oh well. The chances of catching up to myself are very, very slight, so... I'm posting this anyway.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Rent_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Halloween_

"I hate it when Halloween is during the week," complained Jason from his spot on the couch. "'Cause now we can't stay up all night eating candy and throwing it up in the morning."

Gabriella blinked. "_That's_ how you spend Halloween?"

"Every year," sighed Troy.

He, Gabriella, Jason, Chad, Taylor, Sharpay, and Ryan were in Troy's den after school on Wednesday, October 31st. All of them were sitting around the television, as usual, and bored, also a routine. They were too old to go trick-or-treating and it was the middle of the week, so no partying could be done until the weekend. Therefore, their only plans for the holiday was nothing.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to go trick-or-treating?" asked Jason for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Yes!"

"Jason," tried Gabriella. "Even if we wanted to, we don't have any costumes."

"Thank you for saying that! Because we _do_ have costumes!" Jason jumped up excitedly and started rummaging through his backpack. He extracted eight white T-shirts that he must have decorated himself: the words "Dance party!" were sloppily felt-painted onto all the shirts in neon green, and on the back of the shirts he'd written everyone's name.

"We're gonna be a dance party for Halloween!" he announced unnecessarily as he passed the shirts around.

Chad blinked at him. "What?" he asked dryly.

"We're gonna carry around a boombox," Jason explained giddily. "And when we ring the doorbell, one of us will say, 'Are you ready for a teenage dance party!?' and then everyone will jump out of the bushes and start dancing!"

"To what music?"

Jason pulled a boombox out of his backpack and pressed play. The song "What is Love?" by Haddaway blasted out of the speakers.

"Exactly how much thought did you put into this?" asked Troy.

"A _ton_."

"Yeah, well, I don't think so," said Chad.

Jason frowned. "Whyyyyy?" he whined. "I even got us pillow-cases to collect candy in!"

"It was really sweet of you to do all this, Jason," said Gabriella kindly, fingering her own shirt. "But I don't think any of us want to go trick-or-treating as a teenage dance party."

"Why not?" he asked again.

"Because it's dumb!" Sharpay spoke up, looking at her shirt in disgust.

"You're lucky I even included you," snapped Jason.

Sharpay tossed the shirt back to him and it wrapped around his head. "Next time, don't."

The would-be argument was interrupted when Zeke burst into the room, a furious look on his face. "Baylee dumped me!"

Sharpay squealed shrilly. "Oh good. Did she cheat on you?"

"Shut up," Zeke spat at her, looking very pissed. He plopped himself down onto the couch in between Jason and Gabriella.

"Aww, is Zeke upset that he got cheated on?" Sharpay pretended to pout. "Maybe someone in here knows what you went through? Anyone?" She looked around. "Oh wait, _I_ do!"

"Sharpay," said Gabriella in a soft voice, but it held warning. Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"What? I should be nice to him?"

"Yeah, I could use a little compassion!"

"You! You!? Why should I give _you_ anything?" snapped Sharpay.

"I've just been cheated on!"

"YOU cheated on ME, remember?"

Zeke rolled his eyes but didn't respond. Sharpay glared at him, and the lighthearted mood from a few seconds ago had quickly been diminished.

Troy cleared his throat. "Oh, look, The Office is on."

"I love that show!" said Gabriella.

Zeke got up and stormed angrily into Troy's hallway and everyone looked at Sharpay. "What?"

"You could try and be a little nicer to him," said Taylor. "He just got cheated on and dumped."

Sharpay opened her mouth angrily. "Are you kidding? You guys are being totally unfair!"

"You can be mean to him tomorrow," said Gabriella. "But for now, lay off."

Sharpay looked furious "Ugh, fine! But come tomorrow, there will be no mercy."

"Guys, what should we do tonight?" griped Jason, interrupting. "I do not wanna sit at home on Halloween."

"You're not at home, you're at Troy's house."

"Well, it's the same thing."

"What do we _ever_ do?" asked Troy. "Sit here and do... nothing."

"We do stuff," countered Gabriella. "We... we..." She frowned. "Wow, you're right. We're pretty boring."

"Let's actually _go out_ tonight," said Troy.

"Yeah!" agreed Jason. He thrust his T-shirt into the air. "Trick-or-treating!"

"Or," said Sharpay, grinning. "TPing."

Ryan gasped. "Great idea."

"But who?"

"Why not just a bunch of random people?"

"No, it has to be one person," disagreed Chad. "And it has to be really bad."

Their attention was diverted when Zeke was ushered into the den with Lila at his heels. "Putz! I don't care if that girl cheated on you. _You_ cheated on the blonde." She pointed at Sharpay and then slammed the door behind her, leaving Zeke with his mouth open.

Sharpay clapped happily. "Yay, Grandma Lila is on my side!" Gabriella gave her a look, and Sharpay unwillingly fell silent.

"Come on, Zeke, sit down," said Gabriella. "We're just trying to think of someone to TP. What do you think?"

"Baylee," said Zeke instantly.

Gabriella bit her lip. "Uh... I don't --"

"Yeah, let's do her," said Sharpay.

"That's what she said," said Jason. Everyone looked around and gave him a look. "Sorry, it's just... The Office is on."

"Anyway," said Taylor, annoyed. "So, uh... I guess we'll TP Baylee?"

Zeke nodded, his face dark. Sharpay nodded too.

"Then it's settled." Chad put his hands together authoritatively. "So we need toilet paper, eggs..."

"Oooh, and plastic forks!" added Gabriella.

"Why?"

"To stick in her lawn... duh!"

"I've never heard at doing that before."

"Really? Well that's what people did in San Diego."

"Awesome!"

"I don't know if we have enough toilet paper though," said Troy. "Or eggs. And I don't think we even own any plastic forks."

"Idea!" said Jason. "We'll all get stuff from our houses too and combine them."

"Like the beer when we went to the lake," said Chad, nodding. "Okay, so everyone, grab as much toilet paper, eggs, and plastic forks as you can."

* * *

An hour later, after dark had fallen, everyone had met back at Troy's house with garbage bags filled to the brim.

"Well, it looks live we've got around sixty rolls of toilet paper," observed Chad as they all piled the rolls into it's own separate bag.

"Awesome!" cheered Jason.

"And we have eight packages of eggs, and... two hundred plastic forks!?" Chad glanced around, looking for the source. Taylor smiled sheepishly.

"My parents think it's cheaper to buy disposable plates and silverware instead of buying actual plates and silverware." She shrugged. "That's only a little bit of what we have."

"Two hundred is only a little?"

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah, they seriously have, like, a thousand."

Chad shook his head incredulously as he tossed the forks into the same bag with the eggs.

Troy checked his cell phone. "Well, it's only eight-thirty so there are probably trick-or-treaters out everywhere. I don't think we can go yet."

"No, we have to wait until late," said Gabriella.

Her friends all looked at her. "Do you have a lot of experience with this?"

Gabriella smiled abashedly. "Yes, actually I do."

"Wow, wild Gabriella," commented Troy. "You've kissed girls, become a TP expert... is there anything else we should know about your life before us?"

Gabriella pretended to consider the question. "Yeah, actually. I invented the space shuttle."

"I believe you've used that one before."

She narrowed her eyes. "... yeah, well --"

"Okay, so we have like two and a half hours to kill," interrupted Chad. "Any ideas?"

"Well, we could just sit and watch TV," said Taylor. "Basically do nothing... like we always do."

"Office marathon!" cried Jason, pumping his fist. "Are you guys _sure_ you don't want to wear the shirts I made?"

Sharpay gasped loudly. "Speaking of shirts, we need to get dressed!"

"Dressed?" repeated Taylor. "To go and TP?"

"Yes!" said Gabriella suddenly. "We have to wear black." She pointed at Taylor, who was wearing jeans and a yellow shirt. "You're gonna stick out like a sore thumb."

"Let's go to my house!" said Sharpay. "I have lots of black."

"Sharpay," Zeke cut in, standing up. "Can I... can I talk to you for a minute?"

Sharpay gave him a once-over, but sighed. "Okay."

Zeke led her out into Troy's backyard for privacy. Sharpay shivered in the cool October air, but didn't complain. Her curiosity over the private conversation prevented her, so instead she pulled her jacket tighter around herself.

"Yes?" she asked after a moment of silence.

Zeke seemed torn. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it, before opening it again. "I --" He sighed.

"Just say it," she said irritably.

"Okay it's just... after this whole thing with Baylee... I just wanted to say, I'm sorry." Sharpay's annoyed expression slid off her face like butter to one of shock. "I didn't really get what you went through when I cheated on you until now. I realize how much it must've sucked."

Sharpay scoffed. "Yeah."

"So... sorry." He fidgeted uncomfortably. "I know the last few weeks have been awkward so maybe we could start being friends."

"Only friends," said Sharpay sternly. "I don't want you falling under my spell again."

"I'm sure that won't happen."

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?" she snapped.

Zeke gaped. "I – wait, what? Didn't you just say --"

Sharpay waved his words away, saying, "Whatever. You're _such_ a boy." She opened the back door to Troy's house and called, "Gabriella, Taylor, let's go!"

* * *

It was eleven later that night, and the group of friends, all dressed in black or a different shade of dark clothing, stood looking up at Baylee's house.

"This is awesome," commented Chad. "I can't believe she has this huge willow tree in her yard. Classic."

Sharpay grabbed hold of the bag in Chad's hands and extracted a roll of toilet paper. "Let's fuck this bitch up." She took the roll and chucked it as hard as she could at the tree. It unrolled and wrapped itself around one of the higher branches.

"Nice throw," Chad complimented. Sharpay took a small bow.

Gabriella and Troy snuck around to the side of the house with the bag full of eggs. They started throwing the eggs at the side of the house, stifling their laughter with their sweatshirts. Jason, his arms full of toilet paper, threw some rolls on the roof of the house, and Chad used his baseball skills to reach up high on the tree. Taylor took some eggs and threw them at the tree and the other side of the house, while Sharpay and Zeke stuck the forks in the lawn.

"Take that, you bitch!" screeched Sharpay as she threw an egg at a dark window.

Zeke laughed maliciously. "Lemme see some of those." He grabbed a handful of eggs and pelted them along the wall.

"Oh yeah!" Sharpay and Zeke high-fived.

"Come here, Sharpay, help me with the toilet paper!" called Chad, and Sharpay skipped over to assist him.

"What if someone wakes up?" asked Troy uneasily. "Or maybe they're still up? I mean, who the hell goes to sleep before eleven?"

"If they wake up, we run," said Gabriella.

"Yeah and Baylee's parents to go sleep early," Zeke supplied, popping up behind them with an armful of forks. "And they give Baylee a bedtime."

"She has a bedtime?" giggled Taylor.

"Yeah, it's ten."

"Hey guys, there's dog shit over here!" called Jason from across the street.

"Okay. Rub your face in it," said Sharpay.

"No, let's put it on their front steps!"

"Hey," said Chad. "That's not a bad idea."

Sharpay jogged over and handed him an empty trash bag. "Pick it up with that."

Jason wrapped his hand with the bag and picked up the dog waste. He held it out to Sharpay, who shrieked and sprinted away from him. Jason walked across the street and placed the dog excrement right in front of the door.

"Maybe Baylee will step on it on her way to school," smirked Sharpay.

"Speaking of," said Chad, pointing. "There's her car."

Sharpay gasped. "Oh, my gosh. Perfect."

She took the last carton of eggs and she bombarded every inch of the car that she could while Chad tossed a few rolls of toilet paper over the roof of it.

After a few more moments, the eight friends stepped back to admire their handiwork. The house, the willow tree, and Baylee's car were all completely covered with white toilet paper and yellow egg yolk. The toilet paper hung from the tree like streamers, and the forks stuck in the grass could probably pass as some sort of festive decoration, if viewed from far away.

"This is going to take them days to clean up," commented Sharpay, satisfied.

"Then our work here is done," finalized Zeke. He draped an arm casually around Sharpay's shoulders as the two looked over the house.

"Um, what's that?" said Taylor suddenly, pointing. They all looked up, and a light on the second story flickered on.

"That's Baylee's room!"

The eight of them exchanged scared glances. However, no one got the courage to move until a face appeared behind the curtains, looking out over the lawn.

"RUN!" bellowed Troy. They didn't need telling twice; the eight of them made a mad dash to Zeke's Ford Explorer and piled inside it. Zeke stepped on the gas as soon as all the doors were closed, and Sharpay glanced back in time to see Baylee pulling back her shades and staring, horrified, at the mess in front of her house.

"We totally screwed with her," said Gabriella from beside Sharpay; she too had been looking out the back window.

"This has probably been my favorite Halloween," Sharpay commented.

Taylor gasped dramatically. "Oh my gosh. I can't wait for school tomorrow."

* * *

As soon as Sharpay pulled up to school the next morning and exited her car, Baylee Collins's pissed-off face was waiting for her.

"Bitch, I know what you did to my house."

Sharpay feigned innocence. "Whatever do you mean?"

"My house," growled Baylee. "I know you TPed it."

"Your house was TPed?" gasped Sharpay, placing her hand over her heart. "How unfortunate."

"Stop playing dumb. I saw you there."

"Hm. Really? Now, why exactly would I TP your house?"

Baylee looked triumphant as she crossed her arms. "'Cause I stole your boyfriend."

Sharpay blinked. "That was, like, a month ago."

Baylee opened her mouth. "Well, I --"

"I think maybe you're getting me mixed up," said Sharpay kindly.

Looking frustrated, Baylee said, "No! I saw you there! And look!" She lifted up her leg and pointed at her shoe. "I stepped in dog shit!"

Sharpay winced. "Ouch."

"Hey Sharpay, what's going on?" asked Chad as he approached the two girls.

"You were there, too!"

Chad pretended to be confused. "I was where?"

"Baylee here seems to think we TPed her house last night!" said Sharpay incredulously.

"What?" asked Chad, shocked. "Now, why would we do that?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out," Sharpay agreed.

"You did it because of Zeke!" said Baylee. "I know it. He recruited you. I saw his car."

Sharpay thought her statement over. "Why would I help Zeke? He cheated on me with you. You'd think I'd be ecstatic you dumped him, wouldn't I?

"Well, I --" stammered Baylee. "I – I guess, I --"

"Sweetie," said Sharpay, placing her hand on Baylee's shoulder. "I think maybe you were seeing things last night."

"I was not!"

Sharpay nodded. "Well, it was past your bedtime. You were probably really tired."

Baylee flushed. "I don't have --"

"A bedtime?" Chad smirked. "Sure you don't."

He winked at Sharpay and the two of them turned their backs on Baylee, heading into the school, while leaving said cheerleader puzzled and fuming.

* * *

**AN:** I like this chapter. Even though, like, nothing happens, I just like it for some reason. Hm.

**UP NEXT:**

The Bolton's and Maria Montez find out their children are sexually active.


	14. I Have A Love

**AN:** This has now officially become my longest story ever. Oh yes. Go me. Thanks, yet again, for all the amazing reviews. I especially love it when people tell me which parts they like or find funny. :) It lifts my spirits.

The chapter title comes from the musical _West Side Story_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre: **_Humor/__Drama  
_**Chapter: **_I Have A Love_

Gabriella, Sharpay, and Taylor were sitting on the three lounge chairs in Troy's backyard, wearing big coats to shield them from the unusually cold November weather. Troy, Chad, Jason, Zeke, and Ryan were playing basketball, sweating despite the chill.

"Come on, Ryan, pass!" called Zeke frantically, but Chad intercepted it easily. He dribbled to the hoop and made a layout shot.

Jason glared. "You suck."

Ryan scowled. "I _told_ you I'm not good, but you made me play because you thought three against two would make an easy win."

"It would, if you were good!"

"Yay Troy and Chad!" cheered the girls from the sidelines. Troy and Chad bowed.

"Thank you, thank you."

"What about us?" asked Jason.

Gabriella made a face. "You guys are _losing_."

Zeke pointed. "It's Evans's fault!"

Ryan threw his hands up in exasperation.

"I don't know..." said Taylor unsurely. "Troy and Chad are the star players of the team, so..."

"Who's side are you on, anyway?"

"Troy and Chad's," the girls responded in unison.

"Yeah, well, shut up," said Jason. "Tryouts start Monday so we need to practice."

"You need a lot of practice," Sharpay affirmed.

"Let's see _you_ play."

"Well, _I'm_ not the one trying out for the team."

"Yeah, shut up."

Jason, perhaps in anger, dribbled the ball to the hoop and attempted to dunk it. However, he put too much force behind the dunk and when he grabbed into the rim, the entire backboard came crashing to the ground.

"What the fuck?" said Troy, glaring at Jason, who had the remnants of Troy's basketball hoop at his feet.

Jason gaped, stunned. "I – I didn't know that was going to happen."

"Well, that's what happens when you yank on the rim."

"The NBA guys do it!"

"Their hoops don't cost thirty bucks," explained Chad. "Troy here has a cheap hoop. He's not rich."

"Thanks, man." Troy checked his cell phone for the time. "Well, my hoop is broken so we can't play anymore, and it's after five. Let's drink."

"Why does it matter that it's after five?"

"You're not supposed to drink before five, according to the Irish."

Sharpay raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you mean the Irish? Because, uh, they drink all the time."

"My dad's mom has a picture of a clock that says 'No drinking before five' and she's Irish." Troy paused. "But, then again, all the numbers on the clock are five..."

Gabriella sighed. She stood up and grabbed Troy's hand. "Oh, Troy. Let me explain this to you." She led her confused boyfriend in the house, while the rest of their friends trickled in.

"Nice job breaking the hoop," Sharpay smirked at Jason.

"It wasn't my fault!" cried Jason, waving his arms around spastically.

"Then whose was it?"

"It-it was --" Jason thought hard. "God."

The eight of them entered Troy's kitchen to find Lila sitting on an old man's lap, her arms around his neck and their lips glued together.

"AH!" yelled Troy in fright, jumping back onto Gabriella's foot and dropping his basketball in the process. "Grandma, what are you doing?" he asked, horrified, ignoring Gabriella as she rubbed her foot and glared at him.

"Troy!" gasped Lila in surprise, surfacing. She and the man blinked at the group.

"What makes you think you can bring men into this house?" scolded Troy, his hands on his hips. "There are other people here too, you know. This isn't your own little sex-house."

"Troy Bolton!" cried Becca as she strolled into the kitchen. "What makes you think you can talk to your grandmother like that?"

Troy pointed accusingly. "Grandma's making out with an old guy."

"Ma!" exclaimed Becca, finally catching sight of Lila. "You are setting a horrible example for Troy."

"Why? Troy's already done it," said Jason, before clapping a hand over his mouth.

Becca's head slowly turned toward Troy. "_What_?" she asked in a dangerously low voice.

Troy glared daggers at Jason, while Gabriella's face slowly started to heat up. Jason grinned apologetically.

"Am I hearing correctly, Troy? My baby boy is no longer a virgin and has experienced the wonderful act of making love?"

Immediately, the rest of the group shuffled awkwardly. "Hey man, we'll see you later," said Chad, and he, Zeke, Jason, Ryan, Sharpay, and Taylor bolted to the front door. Gabriella tried to slip by too, but Becca grabbed her arm.

"No, missy, you're staying here."

"Mo-oom," groaned Troy. "Let go of her."

"No, Troy," choked Becca. Her eyes slowly filled with tears, and Gabriella watched alarmingly. "This is the girl who took away your precious virginity and made you into a man! You're a man now, Troy! The next step is you moving out, and then getting married, and then I'll be old and you'll never visit me!" She turned to Lila. "Now I understand why you moved here! We never visited you, Ma!"

"That's right," snapped Lila, folding her arms over her chest. "Now, stop crying, Rebecca, you look like an idiot."

Gabriella's face was the same color as an apple. Troy stepped forward and eased her arm from his mother's grip. "Mom, you're kinda freaking out."

"I am not!" she cried, her eyes popping.

Gabriella stepped away from her and Troy raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you are. We're just gonna --"

"What's going on?" asked Jack as he strolled into the kitchen. He saw the tears in Becca's eyes and rounded on Lila. "What did you do?"

She glared at him. "It wasn't me, you schmuck." She pointed at Troy.

"You made your mother cry?" growled Jack to Troy.

Lila grabbed the man's hand – who was still sitting at the table and watching the scene unfold – and led him away. "Come, Morris." She led him upstairs to her room, but due to the drama in the kitchen, no one had time to be disgusted.

"What did you do, Troy?" sighed Jack. He side-glanced at Gabriella and said, "Maybe you should leave."

Gabriella tried to sprint out of there as fast as she could, but Becca stopped her. "No, Jack." Gabriella froze and hung her head, disappointed. "Were you aware that --" She gulped. "-- your son has had sexual intercourse? With a girl?"

Gabriella hid her face in her hands and Troy shook her head disbelievingly. Jack blinked. "Uh, as opposed to what?"

"Beside the point," said Becca. "But your son is not a virgin anymore. HE'S NOT A VIRGIN, JACK!" she shouted hysterically. "HE'S GOING TO LEAVE US!"

Jack turned to Troy and Gabriella. "So, you two --" He pointed. Troy nodded, but Gabriella didn't move. "Well, congratulations, son." Jack stepped forward and hugged Troy.

"Jack, do not encourage this!" cried Becca. "You do know that this is the beginning of the end, right? Next thing you know, we'll be dead."

"Becca, if they're having sex, we can't stop them," Jack told her

"Oh, God," mumbled Gabriella, leaning against the the wall. She was refusing to make eye contact with any of the other three occupants.

"Well --" stammered Becca, before rounding on Gabriella. "Are you having safe sex?"

Gabriella opened her mouth. "I --"

"Are you on birth control?" pressed Becca.

"Mom --" Troy attempted to intervene.

"Well?" urged Becca.

"We-we're using condoms," the younger girl stammered.

Becca let out a sarcastic laugh. "Condoms! They're using _condoms_, Jack!" She eyed Gabriella. "Condoms are not as effective as you might think. Did you know that we conceived Troy while using a condom?"

Gabriella's eyes were as wide as two basketballs, and Troy looked back and forth between his parents. "Wait, was I a _mistake_?"

Jack glared at his wife. "No," he answered Troy without looking at him. "Becca, you're acting insane."

Becca ignored him. "Have you had your period since you started having sex?"

Gabriella's head snapped up. "This is ridiculous!" she spat. "As if it were any of your business, _yes_, I have."

"It _is _my business," corrected Becca. "If you were pregnant --"

"Mom, stop it!" said Troy. "You're acting crazy." He paused. "And _was_ I a mistake?"

Becca blinked a few times and took a couple deep breaths. "You're right, I'm sorry." She took another deep breath through her nose. "Gabriella, does your mother know about this?"

Gabriella watched Becca wearily, as if afraid she was going to be interrogated again, and answered, "Um... no."

"I think you should tell her. She'd want to know."

Gabriella nodded and power-walked to the door, eager to use any excuse to get out of that house. Troy started to follow her, but before he was out the door, he turned around again.

"I really want to know if I was a mistake!"

* * *

"What do you wanna do?" asked Sharpay, bored. She, Chad, Jason, Zeke, Ryan, and Taylor were gathered in Troy's den. They had just finished watching Benchwarmers and were currently at a loss of what else they could do to occupy themselves.

"Practice basketball?" suggested Jason.

"Great idea!" said Chad sarcastically. "Oh wait, _you_ broke the basketball hoop."

"Does no one else have a basketball hoops except Troy?" asked Taylor incredulously.

All the guys mumbled. "No..."

"Aww, hope you don't get kicked off the team!" said Sharpay sweetly.

Ryan yawned. "Well, if you think of something, let me know." He placed his arms behind his head and let his eyes droop.

No one took much notice of him as they watched My Name is Earl until the first commercial break. Sharpay sighed in boredom and looked over at her brother, noticing his closed eyes and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"You guys," she said suddenly. "I think Ryan's sleeping."

Chad smirked wickedly.

* * *

"That was the single most awkward moment of my life," muttered Gabriella as she unlocked the front door of her her house. Troy draped an arm lazily around her arm.

"Hey, it wasn't so bad," he told her.

Gabriella gave him a look. They stepped inside and she said, "Are you joking? Your mom told your dad that we're having sex and then proceeded to ask me if I was on The Pill and when I had my last period."

Troy shrugged. "Well, my mom cried and told my dad that the next step after this was death."

"Yeah, but they're your own parents," she protested.

"It doesn't make any difference."

"Oh yeah?" she challenged. She grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen, where Maria was listening to "Cyclone."

"She moves her body like a cyclone," she sang as she rinsed the dishes from her lunch. "And she makes me wanna do it all night long."

"Mom?" interrupted Gabriella quickly.

Maria looked up and smiled. "Gabi!" She switched off her radio. "Troy, how are you?"

Troy nodded. "Good, Miss Montez. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm good."

Gabriella fidgeted, gripping Troy's hand tightly. "Mom, I-I have something to tell you."

Maria smiled airily. "Yes?" She continued drying a plate.

Gabriella opened her mouth, but paused. She turned and smiled at Troy. "Actually, Troy, why don't you tell her?"

Troy paled visibly and looked at Gabriella. "What?" he hissed.

She gestured to her mother. "Go on. After all, it's the same thing, right?"

Swallowing, Troy's eyes pleaded with her, but she didn't relent. She beamed at her mother. Troy blinked and looked at Maria as well.

"Um, well, Miss Montez," he began uncomfortably.

"Go on, Troy," said Gabriella sweetly.

"Uh, well, you see --" He took a deep breath. "Miss Montez." He paused, closed his eyes, and plowed on. "Your daughter and I are having sex."

Time seemed to freeze as Troy's words sunk in to Maria. She continued drying the plate and her smile remained, although it looked slightly forced. "What?"

"Mom," cut in Gabriella to relieve the magenta-colored Troy of his punishment. "Troy and I are sexually active."

It was silent, until a loud crash signified the dropping of a very large, expensive plate.

* * *

Sharpay, Chad, Jason, Zeke, and Taylor were crouched on one side of the den, about twenty feet from where Ryan was sleeping, his hat lopsided and mouth slightly open. Taylor was gripping a bag of M&M's, and Chad was holding one in his hand. His eyes were narrowed and his tongue was between his teeth in concentration. He took aim, and then tossed the piece of candy at Ryan. It bounced off his nose and onto the floor.

A collective groan rose through the five of them. "Nice shot," sneered Zeke.

"Oh yeah? You try it," Chad shot back.

"I will," retorted Zeke. He took a brown M&M from the bag and took aim in a similar fashion to Chad. He threw the candy but it missed Ryan by a foot.

"Nice."

"I think this is impossible," concluded Zeke. "No one has gotten it yet."

Sharpay sighed irritably. "Let me," she snapped. She grabbed an orange piece and merely glanced over at Ryan before shooting. The candy soared right into his mouth and clacked against his teeth.

"Whoa," said Chad admiringly. "Maybe _you_ should be on the team."

"She can't," said Jason. "We already have enough people."

"We can always get rid of you," said Zeke.

Jason gaped, horrified. "W-what?"

"Yeah!" said Chad with realization. "We don't really need Jason."

"You guys!" exclaimed Jason. "This isn't funny!"

The two boys ignored him. "Sharpay, whaddya say? Gonna try out for the team?" Zeke bopped her on the arm.

Sharpay flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, you two are so mean." She looked at Jason sympathetically. "I would never take your place on the basketball team in a million years. I don't like getting really sweaty."

"You're boring." Chad rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah?" Sharpay reached down and lifted up a bag of leftover candy corn. "Who wants to go next?"

* * *

"What are they talking about? Can you hear?" hissed Gabriella. She and Troy were in his kitchen, standing by the door that led to the dining room, where their parents were currently "having a discussion." The two of them had been barred from the room and forced to stand in the other room.

Troy had his ear pressed up against the crack of the door and was listening intently. "No... they're whispering. What's their problem? We're trying to listen."

"They're stupid," pouted Gabriella, folding her arms across her chest. "Maybe I'll be able to hear." She bent under Troy and placed her ear against the door too, straining to catch some snippets of the conversation.

"Did they stop?" mumbled Troy.

Before she could answer, the door was flung open with a lot of force. The wooden door hit the two teenagers in the face and sent them flying backward onto the ground.

"Ouch," whined Gabriella as Troy helped her up. The two were both nursing their temples, which no doubt had big red marks on them.

Becca was watching them disapprovingly. "Come in," she said coldly, beckoning them to follow her. They sheepishly walked in and were met with the icy stares of Troy's father and Gabriella's mother.

"Before you say anything," spoke up Troy, "I just want to say that you cannot keep up from this room. We are old enough to be having sex and we should be old enough to not be banished when our parents are discussing said sex lives."

"I _will_ be eighteen in a month," added Gabriella.

"Gabi, is that a bruise?" asked Maria with an air of superior sarcasm. "Were you trying to eavesdrop by putting your ears against the door?"

"You guys _are_ grown up," said Becca sardonically as she sat back down at the head of the table.

The two flushed. "Yeah, well." Troy held his nose up in the air. "That's beside the point."

Jack sighed. "Come on, sit down." Troy sat down next to his dad and Gabriella sat across from him, next to her mother. "We want to let you know that we aren't angry that you two are having sex." Gabriella looked down in embarrassment again. "But we wish you had told us."

"Part of demonstrating maturity is showing that you can handle telling your parents these kind of things," said Maria gently. "We may have disapproved, but we wouldn't have been able to stop you."

"I'm sorry, Mom," said Gabriella quietly.

Maria leaned over and hugged her. "Oh, it's okay honey. But I wish you could tell me things like this."

"I wanted to tell you but... it's so embarrassing!" she cried. "I mean, it would've been bad enough just telling you... but it's ten times worse talking about it with you while my boyfriend and his parents are here. And one of them is my teacher..."

"Well, then, next time you better tell me."

"Next time I lose my virginity?"

"No, the next time you start having sex with someone."

"Well what if the next new person I start having sex with is in a year when I'm out of the house?"

"Unless you plan on somehow striking it rich within the next year, I will still be supporting you and thus, you will tell me."

Gabriella sighed. "Fine."

Becca interjected, "Maria, what about The Pill?"

"Oh yes." Maria turned to her daughter. "Yes, well, we're making an appointment with my doctor later to get you The Pill. We want you guys to keep using condoms too, but The Pill is a lot more of a precaution."

"Um. Am I gonna get pregnant?" asked Gabriella wearily. "'Cause I can't handle being pregnant."

"You won't get pregnant," Maria assured her.

"Maria, don't tell her that!" said Becca. "You're giving her false hope!"

Gabriella's jaw dropped. "_What_?"

"I'm just _saying_," corrected Becca, as Jack glared at her, "that you can't be one hundred percent sure that you won't get pregnant."

"Birth control isn't one hundred percent effective?" asked Troy weakly.

"Nothing is one hundred percent effective," said Becca. Troy frowned. Becca looked down at him. "Bet you regret not keeping your pants on now, huh?"

* * *

Ryan was still sleeping in the den, with a large collection of candy practically spilling out of his mouth. After a few pointers, Sharpay had the other four throwing candy very easily into Ryan's partially open mouth.

"What if he chokes?" asked Taylor, but she was giggling. She threw a Skittle into his mouth with ease.

"We'll get Gabriella," said Sharpay. "She was a lifeguard. And I'm sure she would have no problems being pulled away from that sex talk."

Ryan stirred, and they all froze. They watched as he took a deep breath, most likely sucking a piece of candy with it, and coughed violently. He bent over and all the candy spilled out of his mouth as he coughed. "What the hell?" he choked out. He stood up and brushed some of the candy off his jeans. "I just inhaled an M&M." He glared at the five of them.

Sharpay quickly hid the bag of candy behind her chair. "Good morning, sleepy-head." She smiled innocently.

"Sharpaaa-aay!" whined Ryan, stomping his foot. "I told you not to do that anymore!"

"You've done this before?" asked Chad of her, incredulously.

"How did you think I got so good?"

"You need a better way to spend your time," said Taylor.

Sharpay glared at her. "Oh, you didn't have a problem with it when you were doing it an hour ago!" she snapped.

* * *

**AN:** So... the ending was kind of abrupt. But I've already established my hatred for ending chapters, so hopefully you'll let it slide.

**UP NEXT:**

It's Thanksgiving. Zeke cooks dinner, and Lila has a surprise announcement.


	15. Little Shop of Horrors

**AN:** Fanfiction conveniently was down the past couple of days, as I'm sure you noticed. And yes, it was convenient... at least for me. I told myself I wouldn't update until I'd written chapter 39 for this story, so not being able to update helped me. Unfortunately, I still haven't finished it, but I've written 11 pages, so, I'll post this anyway.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Little Shop of Horrors_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter:**_ Little Shop of Horrors_

"Happy Turkey Day!" sang Becca as she strode into the dining room. Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Jason, Ryan, and Sharpay were all grouped around the table, playing a grueling round of Texas Hold 'Em.

"Mom, do you need something?" asked Troy irritably, his brow furrowed in concentration as he eyed the three cards already dealt. He quickly glanced at his own two cards.

"I just wanted to wish you a happy holiday," said Becca defensively. "Oh, and Gabriella, I just got off the phone with your mother; she'll be here at one."

"Mrs. Bolton!" exclaimed Zeke, shooting his arm up in the air. "Can I cook your Thanksgiving dinner?"

Becca faltered. "Um..."

"Please, Mrs. Bolton?" he asked.

"He's a great cook," Gabriella supplied.

"Yeah, and then you can have the day off," said Troy. "You always complain about having to cook on Thanksgiving anyway."

"Well, I... I guess so."

Zeke pumped his fist in the air. "Yes!" He threw his cards down and stood up. "Okay, so we have --" he quickly calculated on his fingers, "-- twelve people, and --"

"Wait, twelve?" interrupted Becca. "There's me, Jack, Ma, Maria, Gabriella, Troy, and you."

"And Chad, Jason, Ryan, Sharpay, and Taylor," Zeke finished.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, Mom," said Troy, watching Taylor deal a card. "Chad, Jason, Ryan, Sharpay, and Taylor are coming to Thanksgiving dinner here."

"Um... okay. And... why?"

"Because we're all bestest friends, of course," said Troy dryly.

"Well, Mrs. Bolton," said Jason. "My parents want me to go to my grandparents house, and I don't like my grandparents, so here I am."

"Our parents are never home on big holidays," said Sharpay, motioning toward herself and Ryan.

"Becca, you can't think I'd pass up a chance to hang out here!" smiled Chad.

"My sisters are coming home today," said Taylor, "And I don't want to see them so they can fawn over me and ask why I'm still single." She glared at Chad. "You couldn't have put up with me for another month?"

Becca sighed. "Fine, fine." As she strolled out of the room, she mumbled something about having eight kids.

Zeke checked his watch and jumped up. "It's already eleven! If I want dinner by two, I need to get started." He bustled out of the dining room and into the kitchen.

Troy scooted out of his chair and walked out of the dining room and toward the front door.

"Where are you going?" asked Gabriella.

Troy turned and gave her a look. "All Zeke knows how to cook are pastries and hamburgers. I'm going to get us some takeout from Chili's for when he burns our Thanksgiving dinner. Wanna come?"

She looked around. "Um, you know, I think I'd rather stick around here."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

* * *

"So, _Miss_ Montez," stressed Lila. She, Maria, Becca, and Jack were sitting in the living room, sipping from glasses of wine and making small talk. "Where's Mister Montez?" 

Maria smiled politely. "There isn't one."

Lila looked at her coldly. "So your daughter is a mamzer."

Maria looked confused, and Becca hissed, "Ma!"

"Your daughter was born out of wedlock," Lila corrected herself with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh, no." Maria shook her head. "My husband and I got divorced when she was younger."

"I see," said Lila with obvious disapproval.

Maria caught on, and retorted, "Where's _your_ husband?"

Lila stared into Maria's eyes. "He is dead."

Maria's cheeks burned. She gaped in embarrassment and looked over at Becca. "Oh, I-I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." Becca waved it off. "Ma, stop it."

"I'm just getting to know the mother of the girl who Troy is sleeping with!" said Lila defensively. "She is on The Pill, correct?" she asked of Maria.

Maria nodded, and Gabriella chose that moment to walk in. "Is who on The Pill?" She glanced around. "Oh, are you talking about me again!?" she complained, and rushed out again.

"She's been having mood swings," Maria muttered to them. "Side-effects."

* * *

Gabriella stomped into the den and flopped down on a chair. "I hate these pills." 

"We hate them too," said Sharpay irritably. "You're such a bitch now."

"I'd rather be a bitch than pregnant!" Gabriella shot back. She then sighed. "I'm so bloated all the time. My pants barely fit anymore." She picked at her black dress pants in annoyance.

"Gabriella, why didn't you go with Troy?" asked Sharpay, through slightly gritted teeth.

"What, do I have to spend every moment with him because I'm having sex with him?" snapped Gabriella.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Um, calm down."

Gabriella sighed again. "Sorry. Look, I just didn't want to go with him, okay? I don't have to follow him everywhere."

"Kids! Come in here and socialize!" Becca called through the hallway. The six of them stood up and shuffled begrudgingly into the living room.

"Done talking about me?" snarled Gabriella.

"Gabi," said Maria warningly.

Gabriella pouted and folded her arms, sinking deep into her chair like that of a child denied dessert before dinner.

"Where's Troy?" asked Jack.

"Oh, uh --" Chad stammered. "He went... to get gas."

"Why?"

"In case he had to drive somewhere," said Ryan lamely.

Jack looked disbelieving, but he didn't press the subject.

"So... have you guys heard the Kanye West song, Stronger?" asked Maria excitedly. "It's my favorite song right now. Th-that don't kill me, can only make me stronger," she rapped. "I n-need you to hurry up now, 'cause --"

"Mom!" Gabriella cut in, blushing. "Stop it."

"What? It's a good song!"

"Oy, music these days!" said Lila. "What happened to the good stuff?"

"Ma," said Becca tiredly. "Please."

Lila shrugged. "I'm just saying. Barbra Streisand, now _that's_ music."

"Who's Barbra Streisand?" asked Jason.

"No idea," said Chad.

Lila stared at them in shock. "You don't know who Barbra is?" The two boys shook their heads. "Why, she's only the greatest Jewish singer to ever grace the world with her voice!"

"OH!" said Jason with realization. "She's the one with the big nose!"

Lila folded her arms. "Are you saying all big-nosed persons are Jews?"

"I – yes?" Jason tried. Taylor put her head in her hands and Sharpay shook her head.

"Oh, Jason," sighed Sharpay.

"If all people with big schnozzles were Jewish, she would be Orthodox," said Lila, pointing at Sharpay.

Becca breathed out.

"Well, my dad is Jewish," said Sharpay.

"Oy!" Lila repeated and threw her arms up in the air. "What is with all these Jews not passing down their religion? We're going to die out soon."

In an attempt to clear the air between her and Lila, Maria said, "I, for one, think that the Jewish religion is very fascinating."

Lila blinked at her. "Puh." The doorbell rang. "Oh, that's Morris!"

"You invited your boyfriend to our Thanksgiving dinner?" said Jack incredulously as Lila got up to answer the door.

"I live here too," Lila reminded him.

"You could've at least ran this by us!" exclaimed Becca. In the midst of all the confusion, Troy slipped into the room.

He took a seat next to Gabriella, who murmured, "Where's the food?"

"In the den," he responded. "All ready for when it's needed." He jerked his head toward his parents and grandmother. "What's going on here?"

"Well, your grandmother invited her boyfriend to dinner and your parents are unhappy."

"Ah."

"I am sixty-nine years old. I do not need to run these kind of things by with my daughter and her gentile husband."

Jack sighed, seemingly giving up the fight.

Triumphantly, Lila opened the door, and the man whom Troy and the others had caught Lila making out with a few days earlier stepped inside. He was holding a saran-wrapped bowl. Smiling politely, he said, "I brought cranberry sauce."

"Thank you, Mr. --"

"Goldblum."

"Mr. Goldblum." Becca smiled and stood up, taking the bowl. "I'll just give this to the cook --"

"Oh, you know, I'll do that," said Taylor quickly, standing up. "Zeke doesn't like people to interrupt him while cooking. I'm used to his explosions."

"Tell him to add another person to the menu," Becca called after her. She sat back down, as did Lila, with Morris by her side.

"So, Morris," began Jack after a few silently awkward moments. "What do you do?"

"I'm a retired neurosurgeon," he responded.

"That's a _doctor_," supplied Lila smugly.

Jack nodded, and silence fell again.

"So, Lila, has told me a lot about you," spoke Morris, breaking the silence. "You must be Troy." He nodded at Jason.

"No, that's Troy." Jason pointed, and Troy gave a half-wave.

"Ah." Morris smiled, eyeing Troy's arm around Gabriella. "So you're the two who are s --"

"Do not finish that sentence!" growled Gabriella.

"Gabi!"

"I'm sorry, but I hate that everyone knows about Troy and I having sex!"

Morris looked uncomfortable. "I was going to say 'seeing each other' but, um --"

Gabriella's cheeks burned deep red. "Oh. I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. She hung her head, and Troy used his hand to stifle his laughs. Gabriella shoved him in the stomach.

"That's the girlfriend," said Lila with an eye roll. "As you can see, she's just as I described." Gabriella held her tongue, but narrowed her eyes.

"And who are all the rest of these kids?" asked Morris pleasantly. "Not all yours?" he asked Becca.

"God, no."

"Oh, Becca, we think of you as a mother!" Chad smiled innocently.

"We just spend all of our time here," said Sharpay to Morris.

"Whether we like it or not," said Jack with a forced smile.

"Oh, Mr. Bolton, we don't bother you!" Jason waved it off.

"No, except when you drink all my beer."

Jason shifted. "Well... that's not _directly_ bothering you."

"Is something burning?" asked Becca suddenly.

Troy grinned. "I knew it."

Becca jumped up and strode into the kitchen, quickly followed by Jack, Maria, and the rest of the teens. Lila and Morris opted to stay sitting.

It looked as if something had exploded inside the kitchen; it looked like one of those classic children's movies where a kid decides to make breakfast for his parents and ends up creating a huge mess. The oven was steaming, a pot of water was boiling over, the island was smeared with over- and under-cooked food, and Zeke had some sort of oil on his face. Taylor had tried, it seemed, to help him salvage the dinner, but, being the horrible cook she was, hadn't been able to.

Troy expected Becca to blow a fuse, but she just groaned. "Well, there goes our Thanksgiving dinner."

"No, I can still do it!" cried Zeke wildly. He darted over to the stove and turned off all the burners. Glancing inside the boiling pot, he let out a moan of frustration. "I think the potatoes evaporated."

"Luckily, I was prepared," said Troy, and he disappeared down the hall, reappearing moments later, his arms loaded with Chili's bags.

Zeke glared at him. "Oh, so you knew I was going to screw up?"

"Zeke, man, I think we all knew," said Chad.

"Even after my experience at Lava Springs?"

"You only made burgers."

Becca glared at her son and his friends. "And why didn't anyone tell me this? I was under the impression that he cooked gourmet meals there!"

Troy, Chad, Jason, and Ryan all laughed. "Nope, Mom, he was only trusted with bread and cow," said Troy.

"Ugh. Well, I hope you know that all eight of you will be cleaning up this mess after we eat!"

"But Mom, football!" whined Troy.

"I don't want to hear it," said Becca. "You better clean fast if you don't want to miss the game."

Jack laughed. "I'll keep you guys updated," he teased.

The eleven of them, and soon joined by Lila and Morris, entered the dining room to eat their meals from Chili's. The chatter around the table was mostly idle chit-chat, until Lila stood up.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make," she said in as loud a voice as she could. Everyone turned their attention to her, waiting.

She was beaming. "Today is a very special day for me," she began, placing her hand on Morris's shoulder. "Because today is the day that I start my new life with Morris."

Becca gasped loudly. "Oh, no, are you eloping!?"

"Of course not, Rebecca! We're just engaged."

There was a small pause, before Becca blew up.

"Ma! You cannot get married! What are you _thinking_? When did this happen? Oh, this is ridiculous. You've known this man a total of, what, a month? Two? No offense, Morris, this has nothing to do with you, but really! Have you completely lost it? Why on earth would you even _consider_ --"

"Rebecca, I have a right to happiness," said Lila coldly. "Just because I am an old widow does not mean I've lost that right." Becca blinked. "I love Morris, and I may have only known him for a few months, but that doesn't matter to us. We're both old, you know. Who knows how much longer we have."

"Don't --"

"It's true, Rebecca. I'm sixty-nine years old."

There was an awkward silence as everyone fidgeted in their seats and stared at their food. Lila was staring icily at her daughter.

"I'm sorry," said Becca quietly. She stood up and walked around the table, engulfing her mother in a hug. "I'm happy for you."

"Good," said Lila stiffly.

"Oh my gosh, Grandma Lila, can I see the rock?" asked Sharpay excitedly.

"You mean... this thing?" said Lila casually, sticking out her left hand. Gleaming on her ring finger was a large pink diamond ring.

The three teenage girls gasped. "Oh, my God, it's beautiful!"

Sharpay grabbed her hand and stared at it. "This is amazing. You've got a keeper, Grandma Lila! I swear, when I get married, I want a ring so big I can't lift it over my head."

"I don't need a big ring," said Gabriella. "The size of the ring doesn't reflect how much the person loves you."

Sharpay made a face. "Uh, yes it does!"

"No, it only reflects how much money someone has."

"Money is love, Gabriella."

"Wow Sharpay," said Chad sarcastically. "So, clearly, you're shallow."

"I am not."

"Have you not been listening to yourself?" he asked disgustedly. "To you, love is measured by how much money someone makes. If that's not shallow, then I don't know what is."

"Oh, Chad, stop being so sensitive," she said off-handedly, joining in Gabriella and Taylor's conversation about the best gift they'd ever received.

Chad rolled his eyes and turned to Troy and Jason, who were discussing the NBA. "Dude," said Troy to Chad. "Why do you care about how shallow she is?"

"Because she's a bitch."

"Yeah, but we already know that."

Chad shrugged. "It's just annoying how someone can be such a bitch."

"Well," Becca spoke up, from where she had sat back down. "It looks as if the only thing that survived through the dinner-cooking process was the cranberry sauce." She motioned at the still-covered platter. "It's a good thing you didn't take the saran wrap off," she said to Zeke, who looked down in shame.

"Does anyone want a beer?" asked Troy. "Because if you want, I can go get us some --"

"Oh, no, you won't," Jack interrupted. "You think I'm stupid Troy? You stay away from the kitchen."

Troy sighed. "Fine. We'll just go in the den now." He stood up and led the eight of them down the hallway and into the den. He reached behind the bar and extracted eight beers, tossing them around.

"Yeah, he's not stupid," smirked Troy, and the others laughed.

Before they could get more than a few sips in, though, Jack barged in. He looked at them all, triumphantly. "Nice try." He walked around, snatching the cans away from all of them before walking out.

* * *

**AN:** I guess no one – not even Lila – is a total bitch. 

Mamzer, by the way, means bastard.

**UP NEXT:**

The group start applying for colleges.


	16. The Point of No Return

**AN:** Okay, I guess I probably should have clarified this. I am in no way racist to Jewish people, because I AM Jewish. Of course not all Jewish women are like Lila. There are lots of bitchy old women out there who are not Jewish. But I have known lots of crazy Jewish women, and a lot of the stereotypes about them are true. Like that they yell and swear a lot. My mom is the perfect example. You should see when her and her friend get together. It's like an explosion. But that's beside the point. Lila is partly based on my actual grandmother – name, too. Now, she wasn't as extreme as the Lila in this story, and I don't remember her that well (R.I.P.) but she does share some of the same qualities that I've given Lila. I really like the idea of bringing some of my own culture into my stories, for various reasons. First of all, I know more about what it's like to be Jewish than anything else, haha. Plus, I know what stereotypes are correct and what aren't, and I can make fun of Judaism because I practice it. I can't write a story making fun of other races or religions. And I also don't mean for it to seem like I'm portraying all Jewish people as racist either. Becca is Jewish in this story, having practiced the religion as a child but not pursuing it (as is Troy, actually... it's said you get your religion from you mother, and even if Troy never practiced the religion, he's still technically Jewish). Lila's fiance Morris is Jewish as well, and neither of them are anything like Lila. And the crack about Gabriella's skin being too dark wasn't a jab at her race either... I wanted it as a comedic moment. Like, how she and Sharpay had just gone tanning, but Gabriella's skin was too dark while Sharpay's was fine. It was meant to show how Lila likes Sharpay more – not because she's white or blonde. Because she just does. So I'm sorry if I offended anyone, because I didn't mean any.

Omigod that was really long. Sorry. Kudos if you read the whole thing.

The chapter title comes from the musical _The Phantom of the Opera_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter:**_ The Point of No Return_

"I am going to _kill_ myself."

Gabriella and Troy were in her room, sitting across from each other, Indian-style, on her bed. In between them were twenty college brochures.

"You're not going to kill yourself," chided Troy.

"No, I am. This whole college-application thing is freaking me out!"

"It'll be fine," he soothed.

She let out a frustrated sigh. She picked up a brochure and read, "University of Southern California – home of the Trojans."

"Isn't that a condom company?" came Sharpay's voice. Gabriella and Troy looked up to see Sharpay and Taylor walking in.

"Yes, yes it is," responded Gabriella.

Sharpay wrinkled her nose. "Well, don't go _there_."

"USC is a great school," argued Taylor.

"Their mascot is a condom," said Sharpay disgustedly.

"No it's not. Their official mascot is a horse. Trojans are just what they call the students."

"They call the students condoms?"

Taylor sighed. "Never mind. Whatever they're called, it's still my top choice school."

Sharpay laughed condescendingly. "Well, have fun in California."

"Where do you wanna go to school?"

"Julliard."

"Never heard of it."

Sharpay gasped. "You've never heard of Julliard?" She turned to Gabriella. "Please tell me you have."

"Um... the name rings a bell," said Gabriella uncertainly.

Sharpay sighed dramatically. "Julliard is only the most prestigious undergraduate performing arts school in the world! It's located in the _fabulous_ New York City."

"You're gonna go to a school that doesn't offer proper education?" questioned Taylor.

Sharpay glared at her. "It does too have proper education. It's focus is just on performing."

"Okay, well," Gabriella cut in, attempting to stop the fight that was bound to start. "Have you guys written your admission essays yet?"

"Already finished," said Sharpay smugly, and Taylor nodded in agreement.

"Ugh, I haven't yet," groaned Gabriella.

"Gabriella, most applications are due by November 30th. That's in, like, two days."

"I know!" she wined. "I procrastinated."

"What schools are you applying to?" asked Sharpay.

"So far, Stanford, University of Albuquerque, NYU, and Berkeley. I want one more, though. Just in case."

"USC!" Taylor suggested. "Then we can go together!"

"Um... no thanks," said Gabriella. "I've been to USC before. Nice campus, bad part of town."

"Where are you applying, Troy?" asked Sharpay.

"U of A, USC, Michigan, and Duke," he answered. "All these schools are offering me scholarships. A few scouts were at the game last week and my dad is, like, dying of happiness because of it."

"Aww, you two gonna go to U of A together?" cooed Sharpay.

"Probably," said Troy, but Gabriella was silent. "Aren't we?" he pressed.

She smiled. "Yeah, sure."

"Well, I'm not gonna have any back-up schools," said Sharpay, flipping her hair. "I don't need one."

"Uh... are you sure?" said Gabriella uncertainly. "Everyone needs a backup."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, maybe UCLA or whatever."

Chad, Zeke, Ryan, and Jason barged in at that moment.

"Ugh, not college brochures!" cried Jason, holding his hands up as if to shield his eyes.

"Did you finish with your college stuff too?" asked Gabriella.

Jason nodded proudly. "Finished this morning."

Gabriella groaned in frustration. "I guess I'm the only one who's stupid."

"You haven't finished yet?" asked Chad, surprised.

She shook her head.

"Didn't see that coming," commented Zeke.

"Well... I know _where_ I'm applying," she added weakly. "Just... nothing else."

"That sucks," said Ryan.

"Thank you _so_ much, Ryan," said Gabriella sarcastically. "But anyway... everyone leave!"

"Oh, come on Gabriella," pleaded Chad. "We've never been in your room before." He looked around. "So this is where Troy-and-Gabriella-sex happens?"

Gabriella stood up. "Okay, you've seen it, you can go now."

Grumbling irritably, Zeke, Jason, Chad, Ryan, Sharpay, and Taylor got up and filed out of her room. Troy, however, remained where he was, and Gabriella said, "Um, Troy."

He looked up. "What? You want me to go too?"

"Well, yeah."

"Aw, come on, Gabriella. I'll be able to help you."

She smiled at him. "No, really, Troy. I'll do it myself."

"Gabriella --"

"Troy."

He sighed. "Fine, fine." He got up and strode out of her room, closing the door rather loudly behind him.

Gabriella shook her head and sat back down on her bed, thumbing through more brochures.

* * *

A couple hours later, Troy, Chad, Ryan, and Sharpay were in Troy's kitchen, sipping from beer cans and watching TV.

"Why didn't Gabriella want me to stay?" asked Troy, and the other three groaned.

"Troy, stop asking that," snapped Chad. "Just because you've said it a hundred times doesn't mean we have an answer now."

"Well, let's discuss it," Troy retorted.

"Troy, I'm a girl, and I don't even want to discuss this," said Sharpay.

"Come on, Sharpay, just tell me this," said Troy. "If you didn't want your boyfriend with you to pick out colleges, what does that mean?"

"Maybe," said Sharpay sardonically, "the college thing is stressing her out and she doesn't want you bothering her."

"That can't be it."

She rolled her eyes. "Why ask my opinion if you're not gonna use it?"

"Well, you're barely a girl."

Sharpay opened her mouth in indignation. "And what does that mean?"

Chad supplied, "I think it means that he doesn't find you much of a girl."

"Well, I'll have you know, Troy Bolton," spat Sharpay, "That I am _so_ a girl and I _so_ know how they think."

"Maybe I'll ask Taylor," said Troy thoughtfully.

"Here's an idea," spoke up Ryan. "Just ask Gabriella. You guys have a strong relationship, don't you?" he asked pointedly.

"Of course!" said Troy quickly. "Yeah, I'll just ask her. Good idea."

"Well, I try."

"So Sharpay, what schools are you applying to?" asked Chad.

"Julliard," she said instantly. "And my father is forcing me to apply to more than one school, so also U of A and Arizona State. What about you?"

"Well, I was offered a scholarship to UCLA, so that's probably my first choice. But I'm also considering New Mexico State and Colorado State."

"Guys... something's wrong with Gabriella."

"SHUT UP!"

Becca, probably drawn by the noise, walked into the kitchen, an investigative look on her face. Her face fell, however, when she was the beer cans in their hands. "Oh, come on. You're drinking _again_?"

* * *

Gabriella, her arms laden with various brochures, trotted down the stairs, yelling, "Mom? Where are you?"

No answer came, but the sound of her mother singing drew her into the living. "Mom," Gabriella interrupted, not even waiting to hear what she was listening to.

"Gabi, hi," Maria smiled, taking the headphones out of her ears. "Need something?"

"Yes," she whined, letting the brochures topple out of her arms. "I don't know where I want to go."

"Why are you worrying about that now?" asked Maria.

Gabriella's jaw dropped. "HELLO, Mom. Applications are due in two days. What, you want me to wait until tomorrow to worry about it? That's not much help."

"No, Gabi," Maria laughed. "You don't have to decide what school you want to go to now. You're only choosing your top five. Just pick the schools you want to go to and you'll decide on a favorite come March or April or whenever acceptance letters come."

Gabriella sighed. "But I _am_ worried. Troy wants me to go to U of A with him."

"Do you want to go to U of A?" Maria led her over to the couch and the two sat down.

Gabriella opened her mouth, trying to find out how to voice her internal thoughts. Finally, she let out a breath and said, "No. And I feel horrible about it but... I don't want to go to the same school as him. And he is so hell-bent on us going together, I just... I don't know what to do. The only reason I'm applying to U of A is because of him. But what happens in April when we have to decide where we're going?" She took a deep breath, and plowed on, "Troy doesn't know I want to go to Stanford. I'm afraid he'll get mad."

Maria smiled sadly at Gabriella. "Are you done?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Do you know what you're going to do about it?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Glad I could help."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, really, Mom. What would I do without you?" she deadpanned.

* * *

The next day, Gabriella went over to Troy's house to find him alone, in the den and watching TV. He looked up when he heard her come in, and jumped up when he saw who it was. "Gabriella!"

She smiled. "Hi, Troy."

"So uh... how have you been?" he asked formally.

"Is it gonna be all awkward between us now?" she asked.

Troy shook his head. "Uh, no... I don't think so."

"Good." She took off her coat and sat down. "And I need to say this." She inhaled deeply, and said, "I don't want to go to U of A."

Troy blinked. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I know you want us to go there together," she rambled, "But I just don't want to go there. I want to go to Stanford. I've wanted to go to Stanford since I was, like, five. My mom went there, and it's my dream school. I'm really, really sorry that I didn't tell you before, I just --"

"Hey, Gabriella, it's okay," Troy cut in. "I don't care that you want to go to Stanford."

"... you don't?"

"No! If that's where you really want to go, then go. I'm not gonna stop you."

Gabriella lunged at him and hugged him tightly around the neck. "Oh, Troy, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She pressed her lips to his.

After a moment they broke apart, and Troy said breathlessly, "Wow, I didn't think it would make you _this_ happy."

She smirked seductively at him. "I'm feeling a little... dirty."

Troy's eyebrows shot up. "Gabriella, you don't just want to talk?"

Her smile flickered. "Are you joking?"

"Yes." He grabbed her hand and practically dragged her out of the room.

* * *

Chad and Ryan were in the kitchen, picking at the brochures Troy had left out. Chad, holding a Pepsi, leaned back in his chair. "I'm glad I'm done with all that. Now I just have to send the applications tomorrow and I'm good."

"Where are you applying?"

"UCLA, New Mexico State, Colorado State, and U of A."

Ryan quirked an eyebrow thoughtfully. "U of A? You didn't mention that school earlier."

Chad shrugged. "It was kind of last minute."

"Hmm," mused Ryan.

"Why?" asked Chad suspiciously.

"Nothing," Ryan said innocently.

"You're a bad liar, Ryan."

Ryan shrugged. "I was just thinking..."

"About?"

"Well," Ryan opened his mouth but then closed it without saying anything. A moment later, he opened it again and said, "I mean, Sharpay decided to apply to U of A too."

Chad cleared his throat. "So?"

"Just interesting, that's all."

"What, so you think I'm only applying there because she is?"

"I didn't say that."

Chad glared at him. "You implied it."

"You can't prove that."

"Are you saying I _like_ Sharpay?"

Ryan put his hands up defensively. "Whoa, Chad, I didn't say any of that. You're putting words in my mouth."

"I know you're thinking it," snapped Chad. "And I just wanna say that I don't."

"I didn't say any of that. Stop getting defensive."

"I'm not being defensive."

"Uh... yes you are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

Their argument was stalled, however, by Troy and Gabriella coming down the stairs. Their clothes were wrinkled, their hair messy, and Gabriella's makeup was smudged. Their faces were glowing and tinged red at the cheeks.

"I'm gonna get home and finish the application stuff," said Gabriella to Troy. She pulled him down by the shirt and kissed him deeply, before she left through the front door. "Bye!" She waved to Chad and Ryan and shut the door behind her.

Troy swaggered over to the kitchen table, grabbing himself a Pepsi as well.

"Dude, did you just totally do it with Gabriella?" asked Chad.

"And right above us?"

Troy nodded. "Yes... yes I did. Probably our best sex ever. She was pretty happy."

"Does happy Gabriella equal freaky Gabriella?" snickered Chad.

"Yup," said Troy dreamily. After a few seconds, he realized what he'd agreed to. "I mean, no! Why are you guys thinking about that, anyway?"

"Gabriella's hot," explained Chad. "So naturally, we think about what sex with her would be like."

"Probably really good," Ryan agreed.

"Is she wild in bed, Troy? Nerd by day, freak by night?"

"Hey, shut up," said Troy lamely, grabbing his soda and stalking into the den. And as he was walking, he called over his shoulder, "Yes."

* * *

The next day when Gabriella arrived at Troy's house, the rest of their friends were already there, depite it being eleven in the morning.

"Gabriella!" cried Troy excitedly. "I have great news."

"What?" She sat down next to him and he grabbed her shoulders.

"I applied to Stanford, too."

She blinked at him. "... what?"

"Well, Stanford offered me a scholarship a few weeks ago but I wasn't planning on applying there because I didn't know you wanted to go there so bad. But I'm taking them up on their offer. Maybe we can both go to there!"

"Oh." Gabriella swallowed. "I thought you wanted to go to U of A?"

He shrugged. "Not really. I don't care where I go. My dad only cares that I go somewhere with a scholarship."

She nodded, her face blank.

"Aren't you happy?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah!" she said. "I am."

"You don't sound it."

"I am," she said enthusiastically. "I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Bolton, she's serious!" snapped Chad. "Now shut up, Life with Derek is on, and I wanna see if the brother and sister finally make out."

* * *

**AN:** I'm apologizing in advance over how I don't know anything about the college application process. I did some research but couldn't find out that much, and I don't talk to anyone who's applied to college in the U.S. But yeah, this chapter was pretty boring, but some things in it are important. Reviews are always appreciated! 200 mark, eh?

**UP NEXT:**

Gabriella's 18th birthday has finally arrived.


	17. I'm Not That Girl

**AN:** I have an announcement of sorts, I guess. I would post this in my profile but I don't know how many people read that. So I'll do it in here. And I really don't mean to make it all dramatic, but yeah.

Some people already know this, but if you don't, well, this will most likely be my last HSM story. If you don't care, stop reading now and skip right to the story, haha. By most likely... it's like 99.9 percent likely. It's not that I necessarily don't enjoy writing for it anymore... okay, maybe it is. But, to be honest, it's mostly about how the quality of the stories have declined so much. It's not the same fandom I wrote for a year ago. So many of the amazing authors who used to write are gone, and now the HSM section is mostly filled with shit. Now, of course, there's always been shit in the section, but now it's almost nothing but. There are some good authors still, but... I don't know. There's just something that is pissing me off about HSM. Perhaps it's the fact that people judge how good a story is by how many reviews it gets, and that most stories with 1000 reviews are stories that aren't really good, but just "really really cute Troyellas/Zanessas." That's annoying. And I've seen some amazing stories out there that get, like, 3 reviews because they're about some weird couple, like Zeke/Taylor or something. It guess maybe it's because people are so close-minded.

But anyway. This section simply annoys me too much now, so, even though I still love the characters, this will probably be my last story. I did everything I wanted to do with them in this story, and there's not much to do anymore.

Okay... another long AN. This'll probably be my last, I swear. haha

The chapter title comes from the musical _Wicked_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter:**_ I'm Not That Girl_

"RISE AND SHINE, BIRTHDAY GIRL!"

Gabriella groaned. "Nooooo. Please tell me I'm dreaming."

Her prayer was answered when someone pushed her so hard that she toppled off her bed. "Nope, sorry," they said.

"What the hell, Sharpay?" snapped Gabriella, standing up and rubbing her hip.

"It's your birthday!"

"Yeah, okay. Well, I've grown up with the notion that the one with the birthday is worshipped, not beaten up."

Taylor shrugged. "You're too stubborn. Hurry, get dressed, we're taking you to breakfast."

"Noooo," she complained. "I don't wanna make a big deal about this."

"You're not making a big deal about it; we are." Taylor tossed her a pair of jeans and a shirt. "Get dressed," she commanded again.

"What if I don't?" Gabriella challenged defiantly.

Sharpay shrugged. "You don't have to."

Gabriella eyed her wearily. "Really?"

"Really."

Sharpay and Taylor stepped forward and grabbed Gabriella by the arms.

"What are you doing?" yelped Gabriella. "Are you gonna, like, dress me yourselves?"

"No, we're just gonna take you like this," said Taylor. The two girls dragged Gabriella, dressed in sweats and a tank top, without a bra on, to the door.

"Okay, fine!" snapped Gabriella, wrenching herself from their grip. She picked up the clothes Taylor had given her and stormed into the bathroom.

Sharpay smirked over at Taylor. "Told you we'd get her."

* * *

An hour later, Sharpay and Taylor were leading the freshly showered and dressed Gabriella through the local Denny's. "It's just us girls!" Taylor assured her. 

But when they reached the back of the restaurant, cries of "SURPRISE!" rang out. Ryan, Chad, Jason, Zeke, and Troy were sitting at a long table, with a "Happy Birthday Gabriella" sign on the wall next to it. A pile of presents was also at the head of the table.

"Oh, wow," said Gabriella weakly. "Um, thanks."

"Come on, Gabriella, sit on down!" said Troy enthusiastically. He grabbed her shoulders and gently guided her to the seat at the head of the table, next to the presents. He sat her down and then sat himself next to her.

"Troy, what is this?" Gabriella muttered out the corner of her mouth.

"Birthday breakfast!" he said.

"I thought I asked you not to make a big deal," said Gabriella.

Troy waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah."

"Gabriella, look!" said Sharpay.

Gabriella tore her eyes away from Troy and saw a platter of pancakes, a single lit candle sticking out of the top one. Three waitresses were standing next to her seat, and they started to sing, rather loudly, a chorus of "Happy Birthday." Gabriella's face burned as all eyes in the restaurant turned to her.

When they were done, most of the guys were laughing. "That was my idea," said Chad. "I had a feeling you'd like it."

She made a face at him. "Gee, thanks. Are there any more humiliating surprises?"

"Just your presents!" said Sharpay excitedly. "Go, open them!"

"But --" stuttered Ryan. "I'm kinda hungry."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Then eat Gabriella's pancakes." She took the plate sitting in front of Gabriella and handed it to Ryan.

"I'm hungry too," said Chad, and Zeke and Jason nodded in agreement.

"Um, you can order," Gabriella said. "I don't really care."

"Gabriella, you have to open your presents," demanded Sharpay.

"I don't want to now," retorted Gabriella.

The two stared each other down for a few seconds, until Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She waved over their waiter.

"Is Gabriella growing... a backbone?" asked Chad dramatically.

"Ha ha," Gabriella said sarcastically. "Well, it _is_ my birthday, and if I can't get the quiet birthday I wanted... everyone should at least get to eat."

A few minutes later, everyone had taken their order, and Sharpay, who was on Gabriella's right, nudged her presents. "Come on, open them!"

"Okay, okay."

"Here, open this one," Sharpay said, poking a bright pink bag toward her.

Gabriella grabbed it and riffled through the tissue paper, extracting a velvet jewelry box. She opened it and out of it pulled a bracelet, its chain made up of diamonds.

"Oh my gosh," gasped Gabriella. "I – wow. Are these real?"

"Of course they're real!" Sharpay said, affronted. "It looks like I bought you the most expensive present!" she added, beaming.

"I don't care how expensive my presents are," Gabriella reminded her.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Sure you don't. I know you're just saying that so everyone else doesn't get their feelings hurt."

Gabriella sighed. "You're right," she said dryly. She reached for the next gift and unwrapped it to find a Marvin Gaye CD, entitled, "Let's Get It On."

She looked up and made a face. "What?"

"That's from me," quipped Chad. "I figured you could play it while you and Troy 'celebrated' later tonight."

"Wow, Chad, thanks," she said acidly.

From Jason, she received a cheap horse necklace ("Um..."), from Zeke, a bag of Reese's candy ("Gee, thanks,"), from Ryan, a Hilary Duff film ("Great, a new bedtime movie,"), and from Taylor, an embroidered Stanford sweatshirt.

"Thanks, Taylor!" exclaimed Gabriella, genuinely happy as she hugged her friend. She looked over at Troy. "Did you get me something?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah, but I'll give it to you later."

She smiled. "Okay." She looked over at her friends. "So uh... can we leave now?"

"Gabriella, we're not done yet!" said Jason, shovelling hash browns and eggs into his mouth.

"I don't know if I trust myself staying any longer," she said. "How do I know you guys don't have any more embarrassing antics planned for me?"

"Oh, Gabriella, we don't," said Chad.

"Right now," added Sharpay.

Gabriella narrowed her eyes. "No, my birthday celebrations are over," she said sternly.

Her friends smirked. "Okay," they chorused unconvincingly.

"I'm serious."

"Sure, Gabriella," said Troy, draping an arm around her shoulders. "Do you wanna go? I can give you your present."

"Yes, please," she agreed, relieved.

The two of them gathered her presents and left the restaurant. They deposited the gifts in the backseat of Troy's car before getting in themselves.

"Your present has two parts," said Troy. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wrapped box. "This is the first one."

Gabriella slowly took the present and unwrapped it. Inside was a small, deep red velvet box. With shaking hands, she opened it to see a solid gold ring with a magenta stone in the middle.

"Troy... isn't this --?"

"My class ring? Yeah."

"Wow." She stared at him with her mouth slightly open. "But why --?"

"It's a promise, from me to you," he said.

"A promise? But Troy, I have the necklace."

"Yeah, but the necklace was a promise for the summer. This ring is a promise that I will always love you."

"Oh. Wow."

He grinned at her. "Go on, put it on."

She took it a slipped it on her right hand ring finger. "It's beautiful."

Troy started the car and started to back out of the parking space. "Your second present is a Troy-filled day, doing whatever you want."

"Oh, no, you don't --"

"Come on, Gabriella, we're dating. I'm taking you out for your eighteenth birthday, whether you like it or not." His eyes twinkled as they pulled out of the restaurant. "Besides, the ring didn't cost anything."

"Again, Troy, I don't care how much your present costs."

"I know," he said quickly. "But I'll steal feel cheap if the present I give you is something I already had."

"Okay then." She looked around. "What do you wanna do?"

"What do _you_ wanna do?" countered Troy. "Your birthday, your choice."

"It wasn't my choice at breakfast today," said Gabriella before she could stop herself.

"What do you mean?"

She exhaled. "I just... I didn't want my birthday to be a big deal. I figured everyone would just go to your house, say happy birthday, and that would be it."

Troy laughed. "Come on, Gabriella. It's not that big of a deal."

"But I didn't want it," she pressed.

"I think you're making it bigger than it really is," said Troy again. "It just shows how much we all cared about you and wanted you to have a good birthday."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"So, where do you wanna go?" he repeated.

She glanced out the window and gasped in realization. "Let's go bowling!"

* * *

"Oh, this is so much fun!" cried Becca in giddy excitement. She was in the den with Chad, Sharpay, Taylor, Jason, and Ryan, helping them decorate it for Gabriella's party. She was standing on a stool and taping blue streamers to the wall. "You guys are so nice to throw Gabriella a surprise party!" 

"She better appreciate it!" said Sharpay haughtily.

"Thank _you_ for letting Zeke use your kitchen, Mrs. Bolton," Taylor said graciously, ignoring Sharpay's comment, as she tied a bunch of balloons together. "Especially after Thanksgiving."

Becca shrugged. "Well, I was hesitant... but I know that he's at least baked a cake before."

"I don't know how happy Gabriella's gonna be with this, though," said Ryan from his position behind the bar and out of sight. Becca was under the impression that he was wrapping goodie bags, when he, in reality, was piling beer cans into an ice chest.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Everyone says that. When someone says 'don't make a big deal about my birthday,' they're totally asking for a big deal."

"Does Gabriella really seem like that to you, though?" Ryan asked, straightening up. "She hates attention."

Sharpay smiled condescendingly at him. "Ryan, Gabriella is, like, my best friend. Trust me. I know she'll love this."

* * *

"It so says how much Sharpay is rubbing off on me," said Gabriella, "when I think about how many people have worn these shoes before me, and how many of them could have foot fungus or athlete's foot." She and Troy were sitting at a table at the local bowling alley, changing into bowling shoes. 

Troy wrinkled his nose, eyeing the shoes uncertainly. "Well, when you put it that way..."

Gabriella laughed and half-shoved him. "Oh, God, if you start concerning yourself with this kind of thing, I might start fearing for your sexuality."

"Well, you exposed it to me!" said Troy defensively. "What if the guy who wore these before me _did _have athlete's foot?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Yours are fine," came a voice, and the two looked up. One of the bowling alley employees, a guy who looked to be in his late teens, was smiling at Gabriella. "Don't worry, I made sure to give you a clean pair."

Gabriella smiled questionably. "Uh... thanks?" she said uncertainly. She glanced over and saw Troy glaring at the guy. Gabriella stood up and grabbed Troy's hand, heaving him up to a standing position. "Sorry, but my boyfriend and I have to go." She essentially hauled him over to their lane, away from the other boy.

Troy's face was screwed up in anger. "I'm gonna fuck him up."

"Oh, come on," sighed Gabriella in exasperation. "Get over it."

"Gabriella, that guy hit on you!" cried Troy.

"So?" Gabriella put her hands on her hips. "Really, Troy, tell me, so what? I didn't respond. I was actually kind of mean about it, for your sake only."

"But Gabriella... he hit on you!" Troy exclaimed lamely.

Gabriella let out a breath and sat down. "If you're going to make a big deal out of this, it's going to ruin my birthday."

"I'm not making it a big deal. You're making it a small deal."

"Troy," Gabriella said pleadingly.

Troy sighed too. "Okay, fine, whatever. Let's get started."

She grinned. "Good." She stood up and approached their computer, typing in their names. "Oh, by the way, Bolton, get ready to wipe the floor. I'm a pretty sick bowler."

"Oh, really?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

"Oh yeah," she said matter-of-factly. "Last time I played, I got _one_ _spare._"

* * *

"Thank God Becca and Coach left," said Chad, dragging the keg out from behind the bar. 

"Lila's still here," Taylor reminded him.

"Yeah, with Morris," said Chad. "And they're in her bedroom. So I'm willing to bet they don't have their hearing aids in."

Zeke slowly walked into the den, balancing a triple-decker checker cake in his hands. The cake was covered in vanilla icing, with the words "Happy Birthday Gabriella" written in cursive red icing. Sharpay bounded in after Zeke, beaming. "I wrote the words!" she said proudly.

"Can we not eat this until Danielle sees it?" asked Zeke.

"Who's Danielle?" Ryan inquired.

"My new girlfriend," Zeke responded. "I wanna do it with her tonight, so I'm hoping this will impress her."

"You baked a nice cake just to impress your girlfriend?" asked Ryan dubiously.

"Um, yes," said Zeke in an obvious tone.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "And not because it's Gabriella's birthday?"

"Well, I baked the cake for Gabriella," said Zeke quickly. "But I only made it really nice for Danielle."

Sharpay took out her to-do list and scanned over it. "Okay, we have decorations, food, beer, the cake... anything else?"

"Music," said Chad, holding up his iPod.

"Okay, good."

"And guests."

Sharpay gasped loudly. "Oh, my God, I forgot to invite everybody!"

There was a small silence. "WHAT?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry! I was busy." She whipped out her iPhone and started touching the screen frantically. "I'm gonna send out a mass bulletin on MySpace. I'm sure we'll still get a ton of people."

"We better," said Jason warningly. "How boring would a party be for just the eight of us?"

"It's _Gabriella's_ party," Ryan reminded them.

"That's what I meant."

"Someone call Troy," ordered Sharpay, "and tell him to stall another hour."

Taylor took her her Razr. "I got it."

* * *

"_She forgot_?! Jesus. Mhm. Yeah, I'll do it. How long? Okay. Yeah, I can do that. Okay, see you soon." Troy flipped his phone shut and walked back to Gabriella, who was finishing up their bowling game. 

"Ugh, I missed again!" she groaned. Glancing up at their scoreboard, she frowned. "Okay, well, I lost, by a lot." She stretched. "Wanna go? I'm ready to just lay on your comfy couch."

"How about we play another game?" asked Troy.

Gabriella blinked at him. "Troy, we already played two."

"Yeah. So?"

"You can't seriously want to play _again_."

"Why not?"

She blinked, and then sighed. "Okay, fine." She plopped down and cleared their scoreboard. Then she stepped forward and picked up her "lucky" pink bowling ball – which hadn't exactly served her well, seeing as she dramatically lost the previous two games.

She placed her fingers in the holes and swung back, but before she could bowl it, Troy stopped her.

"Hold on, Gabriella." He hopped up and took the ball from her.

"What?"

"_This_ is how you do it." Troy showed her which fingers to correctly place in the holes and how to bowl the "right" way. The ball soared straight through the middle and knocked all the pins down.

"Wow, Troy, thanks," said Gabriella irritably.

"What?" he asked. "I'm just showing you how to do it. Plus, I got you a strike."

"Yeah, thanks for that." She frowned. She sat back down and watched him bowl his turn, hitting another clean strike.

* * *

"The party has been saved," announced Sharpay as she entered the den, typing away on her phone. "Invites have been sent." 

"Oh, good," said Chad sarcastically. "But, you know, those are the least important."

"I just made a mistake," Sharpay snapped defensively. "Besides, people aren't gonna decide not to go because the heard about it only a half hour before it started. There aren't exactly a ton of parties in this town."

"Gabriella isn't gonna like this," spoke up Taylor suddenly.

Ryan furrowed a brow. "Didn't I say that already?"

"Again, Taylor," sighed Sharpay, ignoring her brother. "_Everyone_ says they don't want a big deal about their birthday when they really _do_."

"I know, but Gabriella isn't everybody. She doesn't like attention."

"I said all this!" exclaimed Ryan spastically.

Sharpay glared at Ryan. "Shut up." She turned back to Taylor and said, "Look, Gabriella might not like it at first, but she'll warm up. Trust me."

A chorus of loud voices boomed in the backyard and Sharpay jumped. "Awesome, people are here already!"

"Does everyone just sit around on MySpace all day?" asked Chad rhetorically.

* * *

Gabriella and Troy were in his car, on their way back to his house, and sitting in an uncomfortable silence. 

"Gabriella, are you mad at me?" he asked cautiously.

"No," she said shortly.

Troy paused for a few seconds, and then said, "I don't believe you."

She simply shrugged, and he sighed.

"Come on, Gabriella."

"Look, it's just --" She hesitated, and continued, "I didn't like you showing me the 'right way' --" She used air-quotes on the aforementioned phrase, "-- to bowl. And combined with the guy and breakfast thing --"

"What 'guy and breakfast thing?'" Troy interrupted.

"You know. Taking me out to breakfast. The guy who hit on me."

"What about them?"

She mimicked his sigh. "Well, I asked not to make a big deal for my birthday, but you did anyway. You got overzealous about the guy who hit on me even though it was _so_ not a big deal. And you get annoyed when I try and correct your math, so what makes you think I like it any better when you correct my bowling?"

"I was just trying to help! And any boyfriend would get mad when a guy hits on his girlfriend."

She rolled her eyes. "No. Most boyfriends would get annoyed but would let their girlfriend take care of the situation. And I did. Yet you still freaked out."

Troy pulled up to his house and shifted the car into Park. "Gabriella, you're overreacting."

"And stop saying that I'm overreacting!" she added.

"Gabriella, I love you," said Troy. "And naturally, I'm going to get upset if some guy hits on you."

"You said you were going to, and I quote, 'fuck him up,'" she reminded him.

"Not my best hour," he admitted. "But you'd probably be annoyed at me if I hadn't gotten defensive, wouldn't you?"

"No."

"You say that now," he said. "And sorry about the bowling thing. I was just trying to help."

"It's okay," she exhaled. "I know that you had good intentions."

He smiled. "Now, let's go." He hopped out of his car and jogged around the front, opening the door for her. She took his hand and allowed herself to be led into the backyard.

They were met with the sight of what was probably the entire school jammed into Troy's backyard. "Troy..."

"Oh, my gosh, you guys, she's here!" came a shriek from somewhere in the crowd.

About half of the teenagers stopped what they were doing and yelled, "Surprise!" before going back to their previous activities.

Gabriella turned, her arms folded, to glare at Troy. "I can't believe this."

"What?" he said innocently.

"You threw a party for me when I told you not to. Not only that, but I don't know half these people! I don't think they know what they're even here for!"

"Sure they do! You heard them."

She made a face. "Are you joking?"

"Come on, Gabriella," said Troy pleadingly.

She shook her head, defeated. "Fine. Go, have fun."

"What about you? It's your party."

"I'm just gonna... get myself a beer," she said lamely.

"Okay." He grinned at her and kissed her cheek. "Happy birthday. See you in a few?"

"Yeah." She plastered on a fake smile as he nodded and pushed his way through the crowd. However, once he disappeared, the smile slid off her face. She wandered dejectedly over to the door to the den, leaning on the wall next to it – the same spot she'd stood all those months ago at her first big party.

The party was exactly like every other party she'd been to, except for a few Happy Birthday banners and streamers. There was also a cake nearby that looked as if it had once said "Happy Birthday" on it, but so much was gone that it was hard to tell. Zeke stood next to it, furiously kissing a girl.

She let out a breath and some of her bangs flew out of her face. She leaned up against the wall and slid down to a sitting position. Even though she was wearing a sweatshirt, she still rubbed her arms from the chill.

"Hey," greeted Ryan, sitting down next to Gabriella. "Having fun?"

"Tons," she said monotonously. "You?"

He shrugged. "Nah."

She glanced at him. "Why aren't you partying with everyone?" She jerked her head at the crowd.

"Why aren't you?" he challenged.

"It's my party and I'll cry if I want to."

He raised an eyebrow. "...you're crying?"

She smiled. "No, it's a line from a song. I just mean that it's my birthday so I'll do what I want."

"Ah, I see. So... you're gonna spend your birthday sitting down?"

"That's the plan."

"Don't like the party?"

"Yes!" she said quickly.

"No, you don't."

Gabriella chewed her lip. "Well, it's just... not... what I had in mind," she said carefully.

"I didn't think so."

She blinked at him. "You didn't?"

He half-shrugged. "Nah," he said again. "You're not that kind of person."

"Okay, so how do you know that and Troy doesn't?" she burst out, turning to him, cross-legged. "I mean, Troy's under the impression that everything he wants for me, I want too."

"Look, I don't want to pretend that I know you better than Troy," Ryan said, putting up his hands defensively. "But I think Troy just wants the best for you. I think he _does_ know that you didn't want a big birthday, but he doesn't want it to seem like he doesn't care."

"He's throwing me a big party because of what _other_ people will think?"

"No, no!" he quickly corrected himself. "It's just... he doesn't want it to appear as though he doesn't care about you. Not for other people, but more for himself."

She sighed. "Well, he shouldn't have done it."

"I'm not condemning him," said Ryan. "Just explaining."

Pouting, Gabriella said, "Why isn't he with me now?"

"'Cause he's a normal guy and normal guys like to party and drink."

"_You_ aren't."

"I've had some... bad experiences."

She laughed. "Oh yeah." She looked around at her party and shook her head slightly. "You know, I think I'm going to take off. This isn't really my thing."

"Yeah, I know." Ryan stood up and helped her to her feet. "See you tomorrow. And happy birthday."

"Thanks Ryan." Gabriella smiled at him, before walking out of Troy's backyard. She took one last look at her party, then turned and left, disappearing unnoticed.

* * *

**AN:** :) I like this chapter. Hopefully you do too. Please review! 

By the way, the song that Gabriella mentions, with the line "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to," is the song It's My Party by Lesley Gore. It's a really old '60s song that my mom used to listen to aaaaall the time.

**UP NEXT:**

Lila drags Troy and his friends to synagogue for the celebration of Hanukkah.


	18. We Gotta Make It Through The Winter

**AN:** Thanks, again, for all the great reviews. I love them. Also, if you go to my freewebs site (link is my profile, under Homepage), you can read the "theme song" for this story.

Wish me luck on my finals!

The chapter title comes from the musical _Seven Brides for Seven Brothers_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter:**_ We Gotta Make It Through The Winter_

"Who wants to help me procrastinate?" asked Chad in greeting after school one day, tossing his backpack in the corner of the den. He sat down next to Sharpay. Troy, Gabriella, Taylor, and Ryan were there as well.

"I have an idea," said Troy glumly.

"What? Tell me, anything is better than Chemistry homework."

"You'll probably rethink that soon," Troy warned.

"Let me be the judge."

Troy shrugged. "Well, okay. Hanukkah is starting tonight and my mom is forcing me to go to temple with her, my grandmother, and her... boyfriend," he finished uneasily.

"I'll go," said Chad instantly.

Raising an eyebrow, Troy responded, "You sure? Temple sucks. I went once when I was four, and it was so boring that I still remember it."

"Again, anything is better than Chemistry," Chad reminded him.

"Hey, can I go?" asked Gabriella.

Troy looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "You want to?"

"Sure! I mean, it'll be cool to learn a little about other religions."

Sharpay sighed in annoyance. "I guess I'll go too, then."

"Why?"

"Because if Gabriella's going, I'll be bored!"

"What if _I_ don't go?" asked Taylor.

Sharpay made a face. "Taylor, you're kind of boring."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I might as well go too."

"Well, if you're all going, and Jason is away with his family, and Zeke is spending the day with Jill, I'll go," Ryan said.

"Who's Jill?" asked Gabriella.

"Zeke's girlfriend," Chad answered.

"For the week," said Ryan.

"Not the week," said Troy in a scolding voice. "For the _day_."

"So what time does this temple thing start?" asked Chad. He paused, and added, "Wait... this isn't some Indian thing, right? We don't have to wear togas, do we?"

"The Greeks wore toga's," Troy corrected. "And does my grandmother look Indian to you?"

"There are weird ones in every bunch," said Chad knowingly.

Troy shook his head. "No, it's not an Indian thing. It's a Jewish thing. The majority of Jews are white."

"What do you do at temple?" inquired Gabriella in interest.

"First of all, don't call it temple in front of my grandmother," said Troy. "It's 'synagogue,' technically."

"Oh. Synagogue?"

He nodded. "Yup. And... it's kind of like Church, I guess. Usually not as long, but my mom said that because it's a holiday it'll be like two hours long. And pretty much the Rabbi leads us – Rabbis are like a minister – and we sing and pray in Hebrew."

"Can't wait," groaned Chad.

"Um, no one's forcing you to go," Troy reminded him.

"So? Just because I chose it over homework doesn't mean I'm all that excited for it."

Troy made a face at him, a cross between confusion and exasperation. "Okay... well, there's just a lot of singing in Hebrew pretty much. But the temple here is reform, so more of it's in English. My grandmother isn't happy about that, 'cause she used to belong to an orthodox one."

"So why is she still going?" Gabriella asked.

"Reform services are better than no services."

To speak of the devil, Lila chose that moment to walk in. "Troy, I laid out your nice slacks and blazer on your bed for the service tonight."

"Thanks, Grandma, but I can pick out my own clothes," said Troy.

Lila waved his comment away. "I've seen the way you dress, with your pants at your knees and your baggy, printed boxer shorts. Trust me, in ten years, you'll thank me."

"If you're still alive," said Chad under his breath.

"Grandma, so Chad, Gabriella, Taylor, Sharpay, and Ryan are gonna come with us to synagogue."

Lila froze. "What? Why?"

"Well... they're all very interested in the workings of the Jewish religion."

"Are they going to convert?"

"No."

"Oy." Lila shook her head. "We can't have all these non-Jews swarming our synagogue all the time. Especially these --" She pointed at Sharpay and Ryan, "-- who have Jewish in their blood but don't practice the religion."

"Grandma, Jewish is a religion, not a race," Troy reminded her. "You can't have a religion in your blood."

"You know what I meant," Lila snapped, striding toward the door. "Well, none of you better embarrass me in front of Morris. This is his congregation and he's introducing me to his Rabbi and all his friends."

"Sure, Grandma," said Troy dryly. "We'll try not to embarrass you."

As soon as Lila shut the door behind her, Chad said, "Let's pants her."

Sharpay wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, no! Then we'll have to see her nasty granny panties."

"Actually, the other day when I was doing to the laundry, there was a bunch of thongs in there," said Troy. "And I thought they were my mom's but I saw my grandmother sneak into the laundry room and when I came back, they were gone."

"Ew!" exclaimed Taylor.

"That's really... terrifying," said Ryan, looking disgusted.

Chad shrugged. "Fine, we won't pants her. We can give her a wedgie though."

"If she's wearing a thong, she already _has_ one," said Sharpay.

* * *

A couple hours later, the six of them entered the synagogue cautiously, following Becca and Lila and dressed in nice clothes. They all looked around uncertainly, not knowing what to expect. 

"This way!" Lila hissed to Troy. She led the seven people with her through the lobby and into the main room of the temple, where many people – mostly old – were chatting as they waited for the service to start.

"Lila!" Morris strode toward them, grinning, and he kissed Lila on the cheek. "Glad you, uh, all could make it," he said, eyeing the group of teenagers.

"Is she here?" asked Lila, and Morris nodded. "Troy, come with me for a moment." She grabbed her grandson's hand and guided him through the sea of people, removing him from the presence of his friends. Morris followed close behind.

"Grandma, what --"

"I want you to meet Morris's family."

"Just me? What about Mom?"

"She'll meet them later!" said Lila irritably.

She directed him all the way to the other side of the room, stopping next to a tall, blonde girl wearing a black dress. She smiled at them. "Hi, I'm Rachel," she introduced, holding out her hand.

"Troy," he said hesitantly as they shook hands. He turned to his grandmother questionably.

"This is Rachel Cleaner," Lila supplied.

"This is Morris's family?" said Troy disbelievingly.

"Well, she's friends with Morris's granddaughter," said Lila.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Is there any particular reason I'm meeting her?"

"Well, Sarah, his granddaughter, is a dog, so you're meeting Rachel."

"... we can hear you," Rachel spoke up.

"Sarah is not a dog," said Morris defensively. "She's a beautiful girl with some unfortunate breakouts."

Troy sighed. "Look, Sarah could be the ugliest girl ever and Rachel could be the hottest, but I already have a girlfriend."

"You do?" Morris said, surprised. "Lila said you two broke up."

Troy turned to his grandmother. "You _know_ that's not true."

"Well, who in their right mind would stay with that nudnik after seeing Rachel?" Lila exclaimed.

Shaking his head, Troy turned to Rachel. "Sorry about all this." He turned to Morris and, after the tiniest of glances in his grandmother's direction, said, "Sorry to you, too."

Troy made his way back through the crowd and found Gabriella, Sharpay, Chad, Taylor, and Ryan looking for food.

"Food isn't available until after the service," Troy told them. "Neither are drinks."

"That's dumb. I'm starving!" scowled Chad.

"Well, you should've eaten before we came," Troy told him.

"Okay, Mom."

"What are you holding?" Ryan asked Chad.

Chad was fingering a small, silky skullcap-type hat in his hands. "Becca said this is a Kippah and all guys in temple have to wear it." He placed it on his head, but had trouble balancing it on his hair. "I think this might be problematic."

"Where'd you go?" Gabriella asked, glancing at Troy.

He rolled his eyes. "Now, don't get mad, but my grandmother tried to set me up with some Jewish girl."

To his surprise, Gabriella laughed.

"Why is that funny?" he asked.

She shrugged, giggling. "I don't know. It just is. Why would I be mad?"

"Because my grandmother tried to break us up?"

It was Gabriella's turn to roll her eyes. "Oh, please. How many times has that happened?"

Troy gaped. "Well, I guess, a few times... but you really don't mind?"

She shook her head. "No, not really. Lila doesn't threaten me."

"So, let me get this straight," said Troy. "You're not mad or jealous, _at all_?"

"No," said Gabriella slowly. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Wait, do you _want_ me to be jealous?"

Ryan, Taylor, Sharpay, and Chad exchanged glances. "Um, we're gonna... go." They nearly ran away from the couple as fast as they could.

"No, I don't want you to," said Troy uneasily. "But I just... _I_ would be jealous if someone tried to set you up with another guy."

Gabriella sighed. "And _that_, Troy, is your problem." She turned on her heel and stalked away, her footsteps echoing on the hard tile floor.

Troy barely had time to react to Gabriella's sudden departure when his mother sidled up next to him. "I can't believe your father managed to get out of this," she hissed to her son. "How much do you wanna bet that he doesn't have a staff meeting tonight and is instead watching the game at Mark's house?" When Troy didn't respond, she followed his line of vision and saw him looking at Gabriella talking to Taylor. "Oh no. What did you do now?"

"How do you know I did something wrong?" he asked defensively.

"Because you look upset."

"Do not!"

"Do too," his mother shot back. Before he could retort, she questioned, "Tell me. What happened?"

Troy groaned. "Well, Grandma tried to set me up with some Jewish girl and Gabriella didn't care."

"So now... she's mad at you?"

"Then I said if someone tried to set her up with a guy, I'd get jealous."

"Oh, Troy," moaned Becca, shaking her head sadly.

"_Why_ is that bad?" asked Troy desperately. "I thought girls liked that."

"No, not really," Becca said. "Troy, sometimes, you're a little too honest."

"I thought girls liked honesty too," said Troy perplexedly.

Becca looked at her son sympathetically. "Troy, when you tell a girl that you get jealous pretty much every time another guy _looks_ at her, she's not gonna be happy."

"Even if it's the truth?"

"Especially if it's the truth."

Troy pouted. "I hate that Gabriella and I fight now. We used to be totally fine."

"Every couple fights," Becca soothed. "It's a sign of good communication. If a couple never fights, it means they're keeping everything bottled up. That's never good."

"Whatever," said Troy. "It still sucks."

Becca sighed. "Look, the service is starting. Come on." She led him over to Lila and Morris, who were in the front row.

"No, I'm not sitting in the front," said Troy, jerking his arm away.

"Do not leave me alone with them," she growled.

Troy looked around in desperation and saw him friends taking a seat in the back. "Oh, look, I think Gabriella isn't mad anymore." Not waiting long enough to hear if his mother protested, he scampered off, joining his friends in the last row.

Gabriella was sitting in between Chad and Sharpay and had her head down as Troy walked up, so Troy sat himself down on Chad's other side. As the rest of the congregation was taking their seats, Troy muttered to Chad, "Tell Gabriella I'm sorry."

Chad clicked his tongue in annoyance but leaned over to whisper to Gabriella just the same. After a moment, he murmured to Troy, "She said 'screw you.'"

"What!? Tell her I really am sorry and that she was right."

A few minutes later, Chad returned with, "She said, 'I'm mad because I'm only going out with you for hot loving, but you're not satisfying me.'"

Troy furrowed his brow. "What...?"

Gabriella leaned around Chad and hissed, "Troy, why do you wanna do it in the bathroom?"

"I don't!" Realization finally hit the two of them, and they glared at Chad. "Jackass." Troy shoved him so hard to he fell out of his chair and hit the ground with a thud. The people around them looked over and glared.

Troy slid over so he was next to Gabriella, and Chad climbed onto Troy's vacated seat, rubbing his shoulder and scowling at Troy.

"So, uh, what were you trying to say?" asked Gabriella. "All I got was 'I'm horny' and 'let's do it in the bathroom.'"

"I wanted to apologize for saying I get jealous all the time."

Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "So you don't get jealous?"

"...no?"

"That sounded like a question."

"No."

"So you lied to me earlier?"

"I – no."

"So you're lying now?"

"No..."

Gabriella folded her arms. "Hm."

"Okay, look." Troy sighed. "You keep jumping on my case for, like, every single thing. You get mad when I say I'm jealous, but then you get mad when I apologize. What do you want from me?"

"I want you to admit that you were wrong," she explained. "I know you get jealous easily, and what I want you to say is that you're going to try and stop. Not that you were lying earlier."

"Okay then. Gabriella, I'm sorry for being jealous all the time and I'm going to try to stop. Better?"

Gabriella smiled genuinely at him. "Much." She pecked him on the cheek. "But now we have to shut up because some ladies are giving us dirty looks."

He leaned his head toward her and said quietly, out the corner of his mouth, "Are you sure you don't want to do it in the bathroom?"

"Troy!"

"It wouldn't be a quickie. I wouldn't mind staying in there the whole time."

She blinked at him. "Do I have to push _you_ on the floor, too?"

Troy picked up and opened his Jewish prayer book. "I was just kidding, you know."

* * *

Two hours later, the service had ended, and the six friends stood up, stretching their arms and legs. 

"God, I thought that was _never_ going to end," complained Ryan.

"I just found out ten minutes ago that the weird Chinese language went from right to left."

"It's Hebrew," said Troy, as a few old men sent nasty looks at Chad.

"I thought it was cool," Gabriella said earnestly. "It's a fascinating religion."

"Are you just saying that to impress my grandmother?" asked Troy skeptically. "Because you might want to wait until she's actually around."

"No, really! I liked it."

"Yeah, okay."

"Oh, my gosh, you guys!" gasped Sharpay, bustling over to them. "Those women were talking about Idina Menzel! _Idina Menzel_!"

"Who's that?" asked Chad.

Sharpay looked at him in horror. "She is only the most talented Broadway actress of all time. I _love_ her. She's the best. My favorite. My hero. My _idol_."

Taylor said in a fake whisper, "Guys, I think Sharpay likes her."

Sharpay made a face. "Ha. But anyway, those ladies said she's their favorite actress who's not Jewish! Isn't that cool!?"

"Amazing," said Gabriella distractedly.

Lila, Morris, and Becca approached the teens, Becca giving Troy a dark look from behind her mother. At their heels was the Rabbi.

"Ah, you must be Troy Bolton, Lila's grandson," he said to Ryan.

"No, that's me," spoke up Troy.

"Oh." The Rabbi looked back and forth. "You look, more, uh..." he stammered.

"Yes, this one looks more Jewish," said Lila, motioning to Ryan. "His father is Jewish, you know, but he is not."

"What a pity," the man frowned.

Lila nodded sadly. "It's the same with my family. My daughter here married a gentile and did not pursue her religion."

"What a shame," said the Rabbi. "But, you know, you get your religion from your mother, so technically you are Jewish," he added to Troy.

"Yeah, my grandmother has pointed that out to me a few times."

"A few hundred times," said Chad quietly.

"And I see you brought all of your friends with you!" exclaimed the Rabbi enthusiastically. "Fantastic! We are always welcome to anyone who wishes to attend services, so don't be shy to come again."

He walked away to greet some of the other congregation members. Taylor said, "Wow, his advertising is not very subtle at all."

"You embarrassed me!" snapped Lila viciously to Troy and his friends.

"What? How?" Troy asked, taken aback.

"By talking about how you're not Jewish!"

Troy gaped. "_You_ brought that up!"

"I was forced into a corner!"

"... I hope you're kidding."

"She never kids, though," said Ryan.

"Ma, stop it!" said Becca.

Lila glared and turned on her heel, stalking away.

Troy turned to Chad and nodded. "Do it."

Chad nodded back and crept up behind Lila. He grabbed hold of her black slacks and pulled them down, exposing her old lady's G-string to the entire congregation.

Everyone drew in a collective gasp, and the only sound was of the teen's muffled laughs. Gabriella, Sharpay, and Taylor, fists stuffed in their mouths, scampered out of the room and into the lobby, where their loud laughs could be heard clearly.

Ryan followed the girls, his lips pursed, and Chad, his hand over his eyes, went in after them. Troy tried to escape, but his mother grabbed his arm.

"There will be _no_ sleeping tonight," she said in an attempt to be threatening, but her eyes were dancing with laughter all the same. Even Morris had the tiniest hint of a smile on his face, although it hit Troy that the reasons could be slightly perverted.

Troy felt his grandmother's eyes burning into the back of his skull as he joined his friends in the lobby, all of them falling over in laughter. His mother was right; there was very high chance that he would not live through the night, but it was all worth it.

* * *

**AN:** I like this chapter, personally. In a few of the previous chapters, I've felt that the humor wasn't all that good. But I'm proud of this one. :) 

I'll probably end up posting the next chapter tomorrow too. It's one of my favorites.

**UP NEXT:**

Christmas Eve isn't as merry as some of the group members had hoped.


	19. Come So Far, Got So Far To Go

**AN:** I really need to start pacing my updates. Soon you guys will be sick of this story.

I know this song might not even count as being a song from the musical, because it was written for the movie and played during the credits, but it's so perfect for this chapter and it's the first chapter title I had, waaaaay back when this story was in its planning stages, so yeah. I'm keepin' it.

Wish me luck on finals again... tomorrow is math. Bleh.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Hairspray_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Come So Far (Got So Far To Go)_

"JINGLE BELL, JINGLE BELL, JINGLE BELL ROCK. JINGLE BELL SWING AND --"

"Oh, my God, SHUT UP!"

Ryan, who has been singing, glared at his sister. "Well, sorry, Scrooge, but it's Christmas Eve, and I'm _excited_."

"Can't you be excited quieter?" snapped Sharpay. "I'm trying to watch It's a Wonderful Life."

Gabriella groaned. "Ew, I've seen this movie, like, a thousand times."

"It's a good movie," said Sharpay defiantly. No one else in the room – Troy, Gabriella, Ryan, Chad, Taylor, Jason, Zeke – said anything. She rolled her eyes. "Fine, we'll watch something else." She picked up the remote and changed the channel.

"Charlie Brown's Christmas!" exclaimed Taylor. "Don't change it."

"Yeah, this is good," agreed Zeke.

Jason nodded.

Sharpay, her mouth open in indignation, stared at them. "You'd all really rather watch Charlie Brown than It's a Wonderful Life?"

"Yes," said Chad truthfully.

"Ew. Whatever." Sharpay picked up a Victoria's Secret shopping bag and approached the Christmas tree in the corner of room. She bent down on her knees and proceeded to place seven small wrapped boxes underneath it. "Troy, why is your tree in here?"

"Because of my grandmother," said Troy irritably. "She hates Christmas trees, and she hates this room, so we were forced to put the tree in here."

"Sharpay, why are you putting seven presents under there?" asked Chad suspiciously. "Did you buy Troy seven expensive presents to try and steal him from Gabriella _again_?"

"I thought we've been over this," said Sharpay. "I don't like Troy. And these aren't all for him anyway. They're for all of you."

Gabriella gasped. "Sharpay, you bought us all presents?"

"Don't get your hopes up," she warned. "They're cheap."

Nevertheless, they seven teens all swarmed around the tree, looking for their particular gift.

"I'm in shock," said Taylor knowingly.

"I am too," Ryan admitted. "Usually my parents buy me all my presents and just add 'From Sharpay' on two of them."

Chad was the first to get his gift open. Inside the paper was a little Macy's box, and inside that was twenty dollars.

"I told you it was cheap," she said. "But, you know, twenty dollars for seven people is, like, a hundred and forty bucks."

"Thanks, Sharpay," said Gabriella earnestly.

Sharpay cocked an eyebrow. "You're actually _happy_? These are shitty presents."

"How many times do we have to tell you that we don't care about how much something costs?" said Chad.

"Are you joking? I care," said Jason defiantly. "This gift sucks, Sharpay."

"You suck," she shot back. "I bet you didn't get _me_ anything."

"No, 'cause you give shitty presents."

"Sharpay, I didn't get you anything," said Troy.

She shrugged. "I figured."

The group exchanged suspicious looks. "What's going on?" asked Taylor slowly.

"Nothing!" said Sharpay defensively. "Really."

"So... why did you get us stuff when we didn't get you anything?" Zeke questioned.

"I got her something," said Gabriella.

"Me too," Taylor added.

Sharpay's face lit up. "Yay!" She jumped up. "Where are they?"

"Uh, not with me," said Gabriella.

Sharpay frowned.

"So there _was_ an ulterior motive," commented Ryan.

"Kind of," Sharpay admitted. "Jocelyn said I should be more considerate to people."

"That's our maid," Ryan supplied.

"So you decided to give us twenty bucks?" said Chad.

She shrugged. "Well, I didn't know what you wanted and I didn't want to buy _each_ of you something!" she said, laughing at the atrocity of the matter. "That's what birthdays are for."

At that moment, Lila walked in. She simply stood in the doorway, glared at the Christmas tree, and walked out.

"Uh... what was that?" inquired Taylor.

Troy sighed. "Well, she usually doesn't come in here. But lately she has been just to look pissed at the tree without saying anything."

"That's kind of creepy," said Gabriella.

Shrugging his shoulders, Troy said, "I've gotten used to it, actually." He sat back down, pocketing Sharpay's money, and asked, "So what are your guys's plans for tonight?"

"We're having an early Christmas Eve," said Ryan, raising his eyes to the heaven. "Our parents have to go out of town, so they're having the cook make us dinner at, like, five so they can be out of there by six."

"Yeah, it's gonna be a blast," said Sharpay sarcastically.

"I have to go to my aunt's house," Jason interrupted. "She has five cats that like to bite so I'm gonna have it pretty rough too."

"Are you still coming over?" Troy asked Gabriella.

"Sure," she said, smiling strangely.

"What?" he asked, looking at her.

"What?"

"What?"

"... what, Troy?"

"Why do you look like that?"

"Look like _what_?" she snapped.

"I'm not saying you look bad!" said Troy quickly. "But you look... weird."

"Wow, thanks," she said sardonically. "I'd rather look weird than bad any day." She stood up. "I'll see you tonight," she added, before storming out of the den and slamming the door behind her.

Troy threw up his hands. "I don't get it. Everything I say is the wrong thing. I'm starting to think she doesn't want me to talk anymore."

"Maybe she's bored with you," said Sharpay with condescending sympathy.

"Whyyy?" whined Troy.

"Look, Troy," said Sharpay, sitting Indian-style on the couch and turning to face him next to her. "You and Gabriella went, like, nine months without ever fighting. So now you're starting to bug her and she's starting to bug you. It's natural."

"No, they've fought," interjected Chad. "Over the summer. You probably remember that one really well, Sharpay."

Sharpay turned and shot him a nasty look. "Oh yeah, and before that, they fought because their so-called best friends didn't like them hanging out together. _You_ remember that one, right, Chad? And Taylor?"

"Regardless of who caused their two whole fights," cut in Ryan, "the point is that now, they're fighting. But don't sweat it, Troy. It's just a rough patch."

"Oh, and this is coming from Mr. Relationship," said Troy sardonically.

Ryan narrowed his eyes.

"Take it from the master," said Zeke, sitting back and putting his hands behind his head. "You guys are doomed."

"That's _great_ advice, Zeke," droned Taylor.

"Oh, what I supposed to be giving him advice?" Zeke shrugged. "I'm just stating the facts."

"Like you're any better than Ryan," retorted Troy. "You've had, what, one relationship?"

"I've slept with, like, a hundred girls."

"Um, I don't even think you lost your virginity a hundred days ago."

"Well." He folded his arms across his chest. "It's still a lot."

"Okay. Well, again, not the person I'm looking for. All you do is fuck girls and then go your separate ways. Your only relationship ended because of that."

Jason piped up, "I had a girlfriend."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Who you dumped after a month because she bored you."

Troy stood up and eyed all his friends. "I just realized that all of you guys suck at relationships! I'm the only one with a real one."

"Oooh, go Troy," spat Taylor.

"You're starting to annoy all of us now," Sharpay snapped.

"What, because I've been with the same girl for almost a year?" sneered Troy.

"I hope Zeke is right, and she dumps you," said Sharpay, glaring.

* * *

"I still don't know why I have to be here," complained Lila. 

Troy and his parents were enjoying an uncomfortable Christmas Eve dinner with Gabriella, Lila, and Morris. Morris was polite, as per usual, but Lila was moaning about her daughter celebrating Christmas every five minutes. It made one wonder why Morris wanted to marry her.

"Ma, you _don't_ have to be here," Becca repeated. "I told you you didn't have to come."

"And what was I to do instead, Rebecca?" asked Lila rhetorically. "Yes, I didn't think so."

Becca sighed but did not pursue the matter. She turned and smiled at Gabriella. "So, Gabriella, where is your mother tonight?"

"She's out of town," Gabriella answered. "She went to visit my aunt in San Diego."

"And why aren't you with her?" inquired Lila.

"Um, well... I don't know. I didn't want to."

"So your mother just left you on your own?" Lila shook her head. "Oy."

"If I remember correctly, _you_ left Troy alone for two nights," Gabriella shot back in irritation. "He threw a huge party. I've been on my own for three days and I haven't done anything yet. So I think your criticism is misdirected." She half-glanced at Troy. "No offense."

"None taken," said Troy, looking shocked.

"And, uh, sorry Mr. and Mrs. Bolton," she added.

"No apologies needed," smirked Jack, looking at Lila. Becca was hiding a smile as well.

"You have quite a mouth, young lady," stammered Lila finally.

Gabriella smiled artificially. "Maybe I'm spending too much time here."

"What's gotten into you?" murmured Troy.

Gabriella whispered back, "Months of held-in emotions."

"I think it's hot."

She nodded, almost politely, before picking up her fork and stuffing a large forkful of potatoes in her mouth.

* * *

Sharpay loved being home alone. Well, maybe not alone. Ryan was there, as was Joselyn and Nina, the cook. But Joselyn and Nina had retired to their room already, and Ryan was probably playing some game called Halo or Angel or something. And in Sharpay's mind, that left almost the entire house to herself. 

So, she made herself a steaming cup of hot chocolate, exactly five mini-marshmallows floating at the surface, and on top of that a dollop of whipped cream. She'd also prepared a turkey sandwich – strange combination, she knew.

She climbed onto the couch in the living room, sipping her hot chocolate and flipping on the television. She pressed play on her TiVo and sunk into the couch to watch When Harry Met Sally, her all-time favorite chick-flick and Christmas movie – even if it wasn't a Christmas movie, per se. In fact, it wasn't a Christmas movie at all. But she watched it every Christmas anyway.

Only ten minutes into the film, the door knocked. Sharpay groaned and paused the movie, taking another sip from her drink as she padded into the foyer. She tugged at her soft pink bathrobe, releasing her irritation on it.

Sharpay was just about to open the door when she froze. It was nine o' clock on Christmas Eve. Who would be at the door? Unless it was her parents – but they had a key. She gripped the door knob nervously, her hot chocolate held ready in her other hand. In case a psycho murderer rapist was on the other side, she would at least get herself a head start if she doused him in scorching liquid.

She opened the door wide, cocking her drink back in anticipation, but almost dropped it at the sight of Chad standing there.

"Chad!" she gasped in surprise. She put her hand on her heart, which she hadn't realized had started beating faster. "I didn't know it was you."

He smiled crookedly. "Yeah, sorry for not calling or anything. But I'm used to just going to Troy's house whenever, so..."

"No, it's totally fine." He shivered slightly in the icy winter air, and she remembered her manners. "Oh, do you wanna come in?"

"Sure." His hands shoved in his jeans pockets, he stepped inside and looked around her house, at which he'd never been. "Nice place you have here. Like, really nice. I got lost three times trying to find it."

She laughed. "Sorry about that." She led him into the living room and set her mug down. "Do you want something to drink? I still have some hot chocolate left."

Chad shook his head. "No, it's okay. I won't be here long." He grinned and nodded over at her sandwich. "Hot chocolate and turkey sandwiches on Christmas Eve. That's traditional."

"I know," she smiled back. "But it's something I've been doing for, like, ever, so it actually is kind of traditional... for me."

He nodded. They stood there in a slightly awkward silence, Chad rocking back and forth on his heels.

"So, uh... do you need something? Do you want me to get Ryan?" she asked.

"No, actually, I'm here to, uh... well, to give you something." He looked down, as if embarrassed.

"Oh, okay. What is it?"

He cleared his throat and removed his right hand from his pocket. He extended a rectangular box out to her, wrapped in red snowman paper and with a yellow bow on it. "Sorry if the wrapping job sucks. I've never done it before."

She laughed. "It does suck, but that's okay." She removed the bow from the box carefully and slowly unwrapped the paper, making it a point not to rip it too much. She stopped when all the paper was off and she was faced with a Nordstrom box.

"Go on," prodded Chad.

"Half of me is thinking that there's a five dollar bill in here as a joke," she said. He just raised his shoulders, his face not giving away anything.

Sharpay lifted the top off the box and tossed it on the couch. She pushed a couple sheets of tissue paper out of the way and gasped so loudly that it echoed around the room. "Oh, my gosh, Chad."

She removed a glossy picture from the box before tossing said box aside. The picture she was holding was a head shot of Idina Menzel, her favorite Broadway actress. Written on the picture in black ink was: _Sharpay, you __will__ bop to the top! Love, Idina Menzel_.

Sharpay looked up and gaped. "Oh, my God," she said again. "H-how --?"

"My mom's best friend is a casting agent for Broadway shows in New York," he explained. "I asked her if she knew Idina Menzel and she said yes, and I asked if she could get me an autograph for you. And... that's it."

"How much did this cost?" she breathed.

Chad's shoulders sagged slightly. "Nothing. And I know that you measure gift meaning by price, but --"

"No, I --" she stammered, unable to form her words correctly. She paused, and restarted. "This is the best present anyone has gotten me. Expensive or not."

He gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

"No, thank _you_," she said earnestly. The photograph still clutched in her fist, she put her arms around Chad's neck and hugged him tightly. He had barely wrapped his hands around her waist when she pulled back.

"You're welcome," he said. "But I better go now."

"Are you sure you don't wanna stay?" she asked him.

Chad shook his head. "Nah, I should get home."

"But I'm watching When Harry Met Sally!"

"Chick-flicks aren't really my thing."

"Billy Crystal is in it."

He laughed. "Well, as temptingly sexy he is, I really have to get going."

She nodded. "Okay." She walked him to the door and opened it for him. "I don't know how to thank you for this."

"You already did." He grinned at her.

"What? How --?"

He shook his head. "Bye, Sharpay. See you later?"

"I – yeah, sure."

He nodded his head once, before thrusting his hands back into his pockets and stepping out into the chilly Albuquerque weather, making a beeline for his car.

Sharpay watched him walk away, a tiny smile on her face. After a moment, she closed the wooden door and leaned against it, her eyes closed, picture to her chest, and her smile long enough to touch the night sky.

* * *

"Thank God we're finally away from them!" exclaimed Troy as he and Gabriella sat themselves down on his couch. "Now we can exchange presents." 

"Yay," said Gabriella unenthusiastically.

Troy noticed her tone, but ignored it. "Here." He handed her a small Kay Jewelers box and waiting anxiously for her to open it.

She slowly lifted the top off and blinked at the silver band in front of her. "Troy, you gave me a ring for my birthday."

"Yeah, but this one is different. Read it."

Gabriella took it out of the box and narrowed her eyes to read the tiny writing: _Yours forever_.

"'Yours forever?'" she repeated, glancing at Troy. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Just what it says; that we'll be together forever."

Her eyes widened. "Are you _proposing_ to me!?"

"No!" he said quickly. "No, no. But maybe think of this as a... pre-proposal."

"Oh... kay..." she said slowly.

Troy sighed. "Okay, Gabriella, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said instantly.

"Yes, there's something. There's been something for a while now, and I want you to tell me right now."

"Nothing is wrong!" she protested angrily.

"That's it! That's _just_ it!" he cried. "You get mad at me for everything, you don't want to spend time with me, you're totally bored with everything. I just gave you the most expensive thing I have ever bought and you just said 'okay.'"

"Troy, I really don't want to talk about this now," she pleaded.

He raised his eyebrows. "If we don't now, we never will. _Tell_ me."

She let out a huge sigh and put her head in her hands. After a few minutes pause, with Troy waiting in silence defiantly, she said, "I want to take a break."

"What?" asked Troy, as her voice was muffled.

She took her head out of her hands and repeated, "I want to take a break."

He was silent for a moment. "A-a break?" he stammered.

"I don't want to break up," she added quickly. "But I... want to take a break. You know, not have to spend so much time together. Not be exclusive. That kind of thing."

"Is there someone else?" asked Troy harshly.

She shook her head. "God, Troy, no. But, we've been together for like a year and you're my first boyfriend. I just want to take a break."

"Yes, you've said that four times," he said brutally. "What exactly is the difference between us 'being on a break' and actually breaking up?"

"We'll get back together when we're ready," she said simply.

Troy pretended to think her statement over. "So, let's get this straight," he said cynically. "We're going to take a break because _you_ want to, because _you_ don't want to be tied down and _you_ want to see what else is out there. But if _you_ feel like it, we'll get back together." He acted thoughtful. "Wow, sounds like I'm just being strung along."

"No, Troy, it's not like that!" she argued. "I just --"

"You, you, you," recited Troy. "When did you become so selfish?"

Her eyes started to water. "I'm not being selfish."

"Don't cry for sympathy," he barked. "I'm not doing anything to you."

"You're twisting my words around!" she retorted fiercely, wiping her eyes.

Troy folded his arms. "No, I'm not. I'm making you realize what you're really saying."

She sighed. "Fine, Troy. I was wrong. Do you want my present?"

"No, Gabriella. I... I think we should break up. Like, for good."

Her head snapped up. Her angered expression was gone, replaced with one of languish. "W-what?" she breathed.

He swallowed. A lump was rising in his throat, one that tasted salty, but he didn't let it progress any farther up. "You're not happy. I know that now."

"No, Troy, it's not that!" she cried, her eyes watering again. She made no attempt to disguise them this time.

He nodded slowly. "Yes, it is. You were honest with me. It's okay, really."

"How is it okay if we're not together!?"

The tips of Troy's mouth twitched, and he was afraid his despair would get the better of him. "Gabriella, you know --"

"You're right, I was being selfish!" she wailed. "I was, but I don't want to break up! I don't!"

"What you suggested was the same thing, though," he protested gently. He rested his hand on hers, but she jerked it away. "You just worded it differently. I think this is for the best."

She still shook her head, her hair whipping from side to side. "This is just a rough patch. We're annoyed with each other, that's all."

Troy laughed lightly. "That's what everyone was saying this morning. 'You guys will get through it, Troy.'" But he shook his head too. "You're right, though. Maybe we should spend some time apart. See what else is out there."

"I don't want to anymore," she whispered. "If this is what I feel for you now, then how is it possible I can love someone else more?"

"You're not making this any easier on me," he said quietly.

"_You're_ dumping _me_," she choked. She took the ring and held it out to him.

"No, you keep it."

"Troy, I'm not going to keep a ring from you that says we'll be together forever after you dumped me," Gabriella growled.

"I don't want it back," he said stubbornly.

She threw it in her purse. "Fine." She wanted to get out of there as fast as she could. "Then keep mine." She practically threw it at him before power-walking to the back door, exiting the den, and slamming the door behind her.

Troy contemplated for a long while if he should open the gift, the fact that he and Gabriella had just broken up still not really sinking in. Without realizing what he was doing, he unwrapped the gift and saw a chain inside. He lifted the necklace out of the box and saw that Gabriella had custom-ordered for him. There was a charm dangling on it, that read _My Wildcat_.

He gripped the necklace in his fist tightly as he bent his head down and started to cry.

* * *

**AN:** Hehe. So we have huge progress in the Chad/Sharpay story line, and a huge stall in the Troy/Gabriella one. I think I'll make you wait a little for the next chapter. THIS IS THE LAST UPDATE FOR A FEW DAYS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN POSTING TOO MUCH AND BECAUSE I STILL HAVE TO WRITE CHAPTER 39. EW AT ME. 

Please don't think Gabriella is being "bitchy." I've had some reviews ask me why she's acting so. I'm just trying to show a new side of her and that everyone gets annoyed with each other, even the so-called perfect Troy/Gabriella relationship. I guess more people must dislike Gabriella more, because I thought Troy was being kind of bitchy to her in some of the chapters too. (can you call a guy bitchy? Bastardy? Jerky? Assy?)

And even though I broke them up... don't give up on them! ;-)

**UP NEXT:**

Christmas Day. Sharpay and Taylor can't understand why Gabriella is so happy.


	20. Somebody Kill Me

**AN:** I'M DONE WITH FINALS! YAY. And I got a B+ in Pre-Cal which is pretty impressive, I must say.

I like this chapter, even if it's kinda boring. I don't know. Tell me your thoughts?

OH MY GOSH, random, but my friend bought me an Office-themed Christmas card. It's amazing! And when I open, Michael talks! I love it. I was afraid it would accidentally open itself while I was taking my finals though... that would've sucked.

The chapter title comes from the musical _The Wedding Singer_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Somebody Kill Me_

Christmas Day wasn't a white one in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but it still somehow dawned more beautifully than any other day of the year. The grass, houses, and cars had a slight mist coating them, and the lights and decorations twinkled cheerfully. Most houses were buzzing with excitement by seven a.m., the only day children would rise early by choice.

Some houses, though, were still noiseless by ten. And one of those was the Bolton residence.

Becca and Jack Bolton had not been awoken _too _early by Troy on Christmas day since he was eleven, but he was usually up by eight, claiming he "just happened to wake up," even though they knew better. However, this particular Christmas Day, everyone in the house was still sleeping – including Troy.

The two adults were dozing peacefully in their room, as with Lila and her fiance. Troy, however, was passed out in the den. He was still dressed in the nice clothes he'd been wearing the night before, except for his slacks, which were slung on the pool table. He slept, drool seeping out of his open mouth, clad in pink boxer shorts, and an empty beer can in his hand. About four other empty cans were visible, strewn around him.

"Okay, get up!"

The voice was heard before the owner of it could be seen. Seconds later, the door leading into the den from the main hallway burst open noisily, and Zeke, Ryan, Jason, and Chad entered.

Troy jerked awake. "Wha--?" He brushed some of his messy hair out of his eyes, and glanced at the can clutched in his hand. The sight of it made all his memories from the night before rush back, and he remembered why he felt like shit. "Go away," he groaned, throwing himself back on the couch.

"Isn't that uncomfortable?" asked Ryan.

"Everything is uncomfortable," Troy mumbled. "Why were you in my house?"

"Well, we heard about what happened, and were going to ambush you in your room, but you weren't there," Chad explained.

"Yeah, Jason charged at your bed with a battle-cry, so he was kind of disappointed when you didn't get to hear it," said Zeke, rolling his eyes.

Jason's face perked up. "I could do it again, if you want."

"Nooo," moaned Troy. "My head hurts enough."

Chad nodded at the beer cans. "Hangover, I see. Jesus, how much did you drink?"

"Not enough," responded Troy, getting up and padding over to the bar in his socks. He grabbed five cool beer cans from the mini-fridge.

"No thanks, man, we don't wanna drink this early," said Zeke.

Troy glared. "Get your own, these are mine."

"Oh, no, they're not," said Chad, grabbing the beers from Troy.

"You really wanna drink this early?" asked Jason skeptically.

Chad sighed. "I'm not gonna drink them."

"Good, then let me," said Troy, lunging.

Jumping out of his reach, Chad said, "_No one_ is drinking these." He placed them back in the fridge and stood in front of it, acting as a guard.

"But Chad, if I don't, I think I'll commit suicide," said Troy seriously.

"Oh, get over it!" snapped Chad. "Okay, you and Gabriella broke up. I'm sorry, but you're not going to kill yourself. Sharpay must be rubbing off on you."

"Sharpay wants to kill herself?"

"No, but she's dramatic enough to say it."

Troy pouted. "The only thing that can cure my hangover is beer. Or Gabriella. But probably beer." He paused. "Actually, maybe some vodka. Straight."

"I'm not letting you drink beer, so there's no way I'm gonna let you have vodka."

"Tequila?"

"Nope."

Troy plopped himself down on the couch and frowned. "This is by far the worst Christmas ever." He checked his phone. "It's ten-nineteen. Why are you here so early? And how the hell did you hear about this so soon?"

"Well, Gabriella texted Taylor about it in the middle of the night," Chad told him. "Taylor texted Sharpay, who told Ryan this morning, who texted all of us. We decided we'd come here, thinking you might try to drown yourself in alcohol." Gesturing to the empty beer cans, he noted, "We were right."

"Dude, so tell us what happened," requested Ryan, sitting down next to Troy.

Zeke made a face. "Come on, we're not girls. We don't need to know the details on these kinds of things."

"Oh... sorry."

There was a silence of a few seconds, before he asked, "So, uh... how'd you break up?"

* * *

"Okay, this is going to be difficult," said Sharpay to Taylor, right outside Gabriella's bedroom door. "Gabriella is going to be a mess. She probably waited until three to text you because she was crying so much. So we just have to be calm, bitch about Troy, and everything will be fine." 

Taylor nodded.

Sharpay took a deep breath, her hand on the doorknob. "Here goes nothing. Good luck." She pushed the door open with her shoulder and she and Taylor stepped inside.

Gabriella was dressed and showered. She was humming as she made her bed, arranging her pillows. She looked up at the sound of her door opening, and beamed. "Sharpay, Taylor! What are you guys doing here?"

Taylor and Sharpay exchanged perplexed looks. "Well, we just came too --"

"Isn't it beautiful out?" interrupted Gabriella. "That's one of the reasons why I love it here. It's eighty degrees out on Christmas Day! I sat on my balcony for a few minutes earlier, and --"

"Gabriella, what's the matter with you!?" exclaimed Sharpay, causing Gabriella to stare blankly.

"What do you mean?"

"I think what Sharpay means," cut in Taylor, "Is that... well, you just broke up with Troy last night and you don't look upset at all. I don't know if you're trying to hide it, or --"

Gabriella shook her head. "I'm not hiding anything. I was sad earlier, yes, but now I feel... free."

"Free?" said Sharpay disbelievingly.

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. It's kind of nice to be single now."

"Yeah but... you_ loved_ Troy. Probably still do!" protested Sharpay. "How did you get over him in --" she checked the clock on her iPhone, "-- twelve hours?"

She shrugged. "I'm not one to grieve."

Sharpay and Taylor exchanged suspicious glances. "Okay..."

"Really!" asserted Gabriella.

Taylor sighed helplessly. "If you say so."

* * *

"Wow," said Chad, aghast. "So she wanted to take a break until she was interested again, and just wanted you to hang around for her?" 

Troy nodded, and Ryan whistled.

"I didn't think Gabriella was like that."

"She didn't do it to be a bitch," said Troy quickly. "I think she wanted to break up, but didn't want to be the one to do it."

"So why did she cry if you did what she wanted?"

Troy shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that she didn't want to be with me anymore, and didn't really know how to deal with that."

"I can't believe you're defending her," said Zeke. "I mean, she wanted to string you along, and you ended up dumping her, and you're actually _defending_ her."

"Well... I still have feelings for her," Troy admitted. "I didn't want to break up with her, but I knew she wasn't happy and wouldn't be able to do it herself."

"This is making my head spin," commented Jason. "So did _you_ dump her, or did _she_ dump you?"

"I prefer the term, 'broke up with,'" said Troy. "And I did it to her."

"Wait, you _did it_ with her!?" Jason exclaimed, jumping up. "Jesus, you break up with your girlfriend and get to have sex right after. Not fair!"

Troy looked at Jason, bewildered. "No, I didn't have sex with her. I said I broke up with her."

"Oh..." Jason frowned and sat back down.

Troy was silent for a few minutes, twiddling his thumbs. Finally, he said, "So, uh... do you know how Gabriella is?"

They all shook their heads. "The girls went to see her, but we haven't heard from them," said Ryan.

"Oh." Troy's face fell slightly. After a few more minutes, he said, "Maybe I should open my presents..." But as soon as he said that, his eyes caught sight of the necklace on the floor near the couch he'd slept at. He must have dropped it sometime during the night, because he fell asleep gripping it tightly in his fist. The lump from the night before returned. He'd cried for ten minutes after it happened, before decided he wouldn't let himself get emotional. Instead, he'd gotten plastered.

But it was coming back, and this time it was even worse – all his friends were there to see it. He dropped his head and tried to concentrate everything on stopping the tears from flowing, but he couldn't. He then willed himself to make his anguish invisible. Again, however, his body did not want to listen. His shoulders shook, his fists tightened, and wet spots appeared on his boxers.

Troy sniffled loudly, and, embarrassed, stood up and walked to the other side of the room. He put his hand up against the wall and leaned his forehead against it. He was wishing that he would at least be granted the wish of his friends leaving; most likely they would be uncomfortable with his cries and leave him alone.

Clearly, someone in a high position in heaven was enjoying his ordeal, as he heard footsteps behind him. Cue jeers.

But they didn't come. A hand was placed on his shoulder, and Chad mumbled, "It's okay, Troy."

He broke, and let out a sob. He slowly slid down the wall, trying to muffle his blubbering in his palms. Zeke, Jason, Ryan, and Chad all kneeled around him, surprisingly supportive. They were all either gripping his shoulder or resting their hands on his upper back.

Troy knew that once he stopped crying and was feeling better, an unspoken agreement would arise to never, ever mention this again. But he didn't care. They were there for him the way best friends were, and he didn't care if the whole world knew about it or just them.

* * *

"Gabriella's not being normal," Sharpay whispered to Taylor. The two of them were sitting on the floor of Gabriella's room, watching her curl her hair. She was singing along to the radio, which was playing a Gwen Stefani song. 

"Look, I know she's not upset, but that doesn't mean it 'isn't normal,'" responded Taylor, using air quotes.

Sharpay looked condescendingly at her friend. "Taylor, Taylor," she sighed. "You've never been in a real relationship."

"Oh?" Taylor glared. "But I've been in fake ones?"

"Well, yeah."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't get mad!" trilled Sharpay. "But it's true. You and Chad were barely a couple and you only dated for a, like, a month."

Taylor folded her arms across her chest. "You and Zeke only dated for a month."

Sharpay looked affronted. "I've had other boyfriends!"

"How do you know I haven't!?"

Laughing, Sharpay said disdainfully, "Yeah, okay."

Taylor's mouth dropped. "Hey!"

Sharpay blinked. "Have you?"

"Well... no, but I could have."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Whatever. The point is, Troy and Gabriella dated for nearly a year, and --"

"Except for those few days in the summer."

"_When_ will everyone drop that?"

"Never. It'll be their wedding day and people will still say, 'remember when Sharpay broke you two up?'"

"I don't think there's going to be a wedding," said Sharpay pointedly.

Taylor frowned. "Oh yeah." She paused. "It's so weird that they're not dating. It feels like they always have been."

"Exactly!" hissed Sharpay. "They've been dating for so long, and Gabriella is an emotional person. I don't believe for one second that she's not bothered by this."

"Maybe Gabriella's way of mourning is different than yours?" shot Taylor.

Sharpay raised her eyes to the heaven again. "Then how come when she broke up with Troy earlier, she didn't come out of her room for days? You and Chad had to drag her out. And _she_ dumped him that time. This time it's the other way around, and she's singing and dancing around her room?" She shook her head. "I don't buy it."

"Hey, you guys wanna go to the movies?" asked Gabriella excitedly. "They're the only place open on Christmas."

Sharpay narrowed her eyes at Gabriella. "Why? Wanna see a romantic movie?"

Gabriella shook her head. "I was thinking that new adventure one. So?"

Taylor turned to Sharpay and shrugged. "We're here for her, remember?" she reminded her blonde friend in a quiet voice. "This is her way of being upset."

Sharpay exhaled. "Okay, fine. Whatever."

* * *

"Come on, we're going out," said Chad, throwing Troy's pants at him. "Get your ass dressed." 

"I don't want to," Troy mumbled. "Give me my beer back."

"No."

"It's _my_ beer."

"It's actually your dad's."

"Same thing."

"Come on, Troy, you're single!" exclaimed Zeke. "We need to get you hooked up. Hey, maybe one of my old girlfriend's can give you a night of hot lovin' to forget about Gabriella."

"I don't want hot lovin' from one of your whores," said Troy blankly. "I want Gabriella."

"Well you dumped her," Chad reminded him.

Troy groaned. "I know. What is _wrong_ with me?"

"It was all for the best, like you said," Ryan told him. "Don't start rethinking it now. It's over and done with. You have to move on now."

Troy covered his face with a pillow, and Chad snatched it away. "No, you're not going to smother yourself."

"I wasn't going to. I was going to scream in it."

"Oh. Well, then, here."

Chad gave it back to him, and Troy yelled into the pillow, while the other guys shifted uncomfortably. After a few seconds, Troy tossed the pillow away and breathed out.

"You know what? I _do_ want to go out." Troy stood up defiantly. He stepped into his pants, ran a hand through his hair, and wiped his teeth on his shirt sleeve. "Come on, I don't wanna brood in here anymore."

Chad raised an eyebrow. "Troy, you still look like shit."

"I don't care. Let's go!" he cried enthusiastically, leading his friends outside.

The four others followed him. "Looks like all that crying did some good," muttered Zeke.

Chad glared at him. "Don't _ever_ mention that to anyone."

* * *

Sharpay, Taylor, and Gabriella finished, after a half hour, putting on their makeup and doing their hair for their outing. Gabriella was chatting and laughing at a hundred miles per hour, delighting Taylor but making Sharpay further suspicious. As soon as Gabriella went to her room to grab her purse, Sharpay said to Taylor, "I still --" 

"Save your breath, I know what you're going to say," interjected Taylor. "Look, just accept the fact that Gabriella isn't distraught. Do you _want_ her to be?"

"No!" said Sharpay defensively. "But... it's just not healthy!"

"Well, you're crazy," said Taylor with finality. She walked back into Gabriella's room, Sharpay at her heels.

They didn't see Gabriella at first, but heard a slight whimpering. The two girls exchanged puzzled glances, before taking a few more steps into the room and saw Gabriella huddled in a corner, shaking with apparent sobs.

"Gabriella!" exclaimed Taylor, rushing at her friend. Sharpay followed suit.

Gabriella took her head out of her heads and blinked at the two girls, her lower lip trembling and tears leaking from her eyes. "I – I'm sorry."

"Shh, don't be sorry," hushed Sharpay, squeezing herself in the small space between Gabriella and the wall. She slung her arm around the other girl's shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

Gabriella sniffled loudly.

Taylor rubbed Gabriella's back in slow circles. "It's okay. Just let it out."

"I-I almost texted Troy," she sputtered. She'd started crying so hard that she could barely speak audibly. "E-everytime I would go out w-with you guys, I always t-told Troy," she choked out. "And I was going th-through my phone, and I was about to t-text him... and then I r-remebered."

"Wait," said Taylor. "Did you forget this whole morning that you and Troy broke up?"

Gabriella shook her head tears, splashing down her cheeks. "No, of course not. But... i-it just didn't really hit me." She looked up at her friends with tear-stained cheeks. "Troy and I dated for almost a year. And now... it's over." She closed her eyes, and a couple more droplets leaked out. "I can't text him to tell him what I'm doing. I can't call him if my mom or you guys are annoying me --"

"Hey!" interjected Sharpay, but Taylor glared and shook her head.

Gabriella plowed on as if no interruption had taken place. "-- He's no longer my closest confidante. He's not my best friend anymore. If we see each other in the hallways at school, we'll look down. We won't talk anymore. Everything between us will be awkward. Nothing will ever been the same again," she wailed. She dropped her head onto Sharpay's shoulder and continued to weep.

"It's okay, Gabriella," soothed Taylor. "It is. We're gonna help you get through this."

"Why doesn't he love me anymore?" asked Gabriella tearfully. "I just – I don't get it. What changed?"

"I thought you said that you wanted to take a break?"

She swallowed. "I did, but... I didn't want to break up with him."

Taylor tucked a piece of Gabriella's curled hair behind her ear. "Gabriella, what's the difference? Maybe deep down, you wanted this?"

"Deep down, I know this is a huge mistake!" she protested. "I thought on the surface that I wanted this, but deep down I know that I don't." She shook her head. "It's all wrong."

"That's what I thought, too," confessed Sharpay. "When I broke up with Zeke, I had second thoughts. I thought I should give him a second chance. I thought, maybe... maybe I had acted to rashly. But I convinced myself not to, and it all turned out to be the best."

"But _I_ didn't dump Troy, and neither of us cheated."

"It's the same thing," Sharpay told her. "I know now you're thinking like it's wrong and the whole world doesn't make sense anymore. But the wound is fresh. It needs time to heal, and don't worry. It will."

The corners of Gabriella's mouth twitched downward. "I hope you're right, Sharpay," she whispered.

"Of course I am!" scoffed Sharpay.

Gabriella sniffed. "Thanks, you guys. You're great friends."

"Hey, we have some great insults for Troy," announced Sharpay.

"Yeah, we thought of them before we got here," said Taylor.

Gabriella laughed lightly. "That's okay."

"No, really, they're good!" argued Sharpay. "Like, Troy looks like a pre-pubescent girl in his basketball uniform."

* * *

**AN:** I got reviews asking why Gabriella would be happy. Does this make more sense? haha 

Crap, I still have to write chapter 39. Dang.

**UP NEXT:**

Sharpay and Ryan convince their parents to let them throw a formal New Years Eve party at their country club.


	21. Endless Night

**AN:** YES, I FINALLY FINISHED CHAPTER 39. It was like pulling teeth. Took me about two weeks to do. Whew.

We are halfway done with this story. Twenty chapters are posted, twenty more to read. Yay.

I probably will update this every day... maybe... I'm on break now, so I get bored easily. Although I am watching Lost. Who else watches Lost? Jack/Kate and Claire/Charlie are the best. And I don't care if Charlie's dead.

The chapter title comes from the musical _The Lion King_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Endless Night_

"RISE AND SHII-IINE!"

Sharpay burst into Gabriella's room without invitation. Even though it was eleven o' clock in the morning, the room was still dark and Gabriella was tangled in her blankets. Sharpay was not surprised, and she strode purposefully over to the door to Gabriella's balcony. She threw back the curtains and let sunlight stream into the room.

Gabriella tried to block out the light by shutting her eyes tighter. She groaned. "No... go away."

"Gabriella, you've been sleeping for, like, a week," said Sharpay. She sat on her friend's bed and pushed her shoulder. "Get up. We're going to the mall."

"No, we're not," said Gabriella, her voice muffled by her pillow.

"Are too. We're going to a party tonight!"

"But Sharpay, it's New Years Eve."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Sharpay. "Ryan and I talked our parents into letting us throw a New Years party for the whole school. And you _have_ to go!"

"The whole school?" asked Gabriella weakly. "Even Troy?"

Sharpay nodded.

"Then no way am I going." Gabriella tugged on her comforter and placed it over her head. "Now go away."

Sighing, Sharpay said, "Gabriella, I know this is hard for you, but you have to get out of this room. Troy's upset too, but he's at least going out and spending time with us. He's trying to move on."

"Why does he get to move on!?" complained Gabriella.

"Gabriella, your complaining is getting on my nerves!" snapped Sharpay. Gabriella looked at her in surprise. "Yeah, that's right, I said it. You've been sitting here for a week, moping and feeling sorry for yourself. Look, you and Troy broke up. It's over. And sitting here, doing nothing and getting fat, isn't going to fix that. Even Troy gets that, and you're smarter than him. You have to suck it up and start moving on. And step one is going to that party. Step two is going back to Troy's house to hang out with us."

"Troy's house!?" yelped Gabriella, sitting up straight. "I'll go to your stupid party, but no way can I go to Troy's house."

Sharpay crossed her arms. "Well, then, you won't have any friends left."

Gabriella opened her mouth in indignation.

"Look, it's true. Everyone hangs out there. Face it, the guys aren't going to track you down. We're all good friends, but if you stop coming to Troy's house, you're going to drift apart from them. And soon, even Taylor and I too."

Gabriella frowned. "Ugh. You're right. Why the hell are you suddenly right all the time? I want our original titles back."

"Sitting in bed for a week made you stupid," said Sharpay in a matter-of-fact tone. She stood. "Now get up. The dress code for the party is black tie, so we have to buy you a new dress."

"I can just wear my dress from Homecoming," Gabriella suggested, walking into her bathroom.

Sharpay let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, right. What better way to say how poor you are?"

"I'm not rich," Gabriella reminded her.

"Then I'll buy it for you," offered Sharpay. "But you can never, I repeat, never wear a formal dress twice."

"Whatever, Sharpay."

* * *

Taylor's phone began to beep while she was in Troy's den with Chad, Jason, Zeke, Ryan, and Troy. She read her received text and exclaimed, "Sharpay got Gabriella to go to the party!"

Troy blinked. "Am I supposed to be happy about that?"

"I don't care if you're happy or not," said Taylor. "But it's about time the two of you saw each other."

"It's not my fault," Troy said defensively. "She's the one that's been in her room for a week!"

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Troy, you haven't left your house either. It just so happens that your house is where we all hang out. If everyone hung out at Gabriella's house, you would be the one that never left their house."

Troy gaped. "Yeah – but ---"

"Stop while you're ahead," warned Chad. "You're losing."

Troy sighed. "Fine. Whatever. But just because she's there doesn't mean I'm going to talk to her."

"I thought you were the kind of person who wouldn't want hard feelings after a breakup," said Ryan.

"It's not hard feelings, per se," Troy said. "But... we just broke up a week ago. I'm not really ready to see her."

"Troy doesn't want to cry in front of the whole school," smirked Chad.

* * *

Gabriella frowned and picked at the black dress she was wearing. "Sharpay, I don't know about this."

"I told you, Gabriella," said Sharpay. "The white dress did not flatter you at all. This one is much better."

"Not about the dress," Gabriella said, rolling her eyes. "About going to the party. Maybe I should stay home."

"Not happening!" cried Sharpay. "You little cheat, I just bought you a hundred dollar dress!"

"I know. But I _did_ ask you not to."

"Well, you still have to go."

"What if I threw up?"

"I'd take you anyway. You'd have to throw up in front of the whole school in order for me to let you stay home."

Gabriella groaned. "Why are you forcing me to go? I don't want to see him."

"Gabriella, I saw Zeke after one day!"

"Yeah, but you two weren't --" She stopped.

Sharpay narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing," Gabriella mumbled.

"What? Just because Zeke and I weren't together for a year means it wasn't as bad?" she spat.

"Sharpay, I didn't --"

Sharpay glared. "No, I know that's what you meant. Well, I have news for you. You have to stop playing the victim and acting like no one understands you. Zeke and I may have only been together for a couple months, but I had pretty deep feelings for him. And not only that, but he violated my trust in the ultimate way. Do you know how humiliating it was to have to see him knowing that I wasn't good enough for him!?"

Gabriella swallowed. "You weren't not good enough for him."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Get real, Gabriella. This is the second time I've been cheated on. I think I know what I'm talking about."

"The second?" repeated Gabriella. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes widening, Sharpay said, "I – nothing."

"No, you have to tell me now."

"I do not!"

"I won't go to the party."

"You so will."

"I'll rip the dress."

"Don't!"

"_Tell me._"

Sharpay groaned loudly. "Fine!" She sat down on Gabriella's bed, sighing. "You didn't go here then. I was a sophomore, and his name was James. He was a senior. I was _totally_ in love with him. He was perfect; so nice, caring, and sweet. But..." She hesitated. "After only a month, I found out he was cheating on me. I dumped his ass."

"I'm sorry," said Gabriella quietly.

"I should've known something was up when he said I didn't have to sleep with him," laughed Sharpay, her eyes sprinkling with tears. "It's because he was getting some on the side."

"Is that why you slept with Zeke so fast?" whispered Gabriella.

Sharpay shook her head. "Of course not! I'm not _that_ self-conscious. I'll never give a guy sex just to keep him! I just wanted to do it with Zeke. I was hoping he was different." She shot Gabriella a venomous look. "_No one_ knows why James and I broke up except us, so you keep your mouth shut, or else I'll fucking beat you up, okay?"

Gabriella ignored her last comment. "I'm so sorry, Sharpay. You're right, I've been a conceited bitch."

"Good. Now that we've got that cleared up," Sharpay stood up. "it's time to do your hair. You always curl it. Come on, have some variety!"

* * *

"I really don't want to be here," Gabriella mumbled to Taylor.

"Don't complain to me," she muttered back.

"I have to complain to you, because Sharpay made me feel bad today. She's right, I am acting like a victim. But I am a victim! I hate this!"

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Shut up, you're not making any sense." She sighed. "Come on, let's go."

She grabbed Gabriella's hand and led her into the main ballroom of the country club. The last time Gabriella had been there, everything had been so different. She and Troy had broken up there once before, but also reunited there.

To speak of the devil.

"There he is!" Gabriella hissed. Taylor followed her line of vision through the mass of dressed-up teenagers to the buffet table on the other side of the room. Troy stood there in a tux, looking glum and sipping from a plastic cup.

"So what? Gabriella, you're stronger than this!" said Taylor enthusiastically. "You can get through this night."

Gabriella swallowed. "Uh. Yeah. Sure I can."

She blinked in his direction, and he turned, looking directly at her. She froze, his cool blue eyes boring right into her brown ones. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and her breath was caught in her throat. He didn't blink, and neither did she. They were the only two in the room; everyone else turned to air. For a few seconds, she felt like she wanted to run to him; throw her arms around him; tell him she loved him and that she was sorry. But her heart dropped right down into the pit of her stomach as she remembered that she couldn't do that. It was over.

Gabriella ripped her gaze away from Troy. "I can't do this," she said urgently. Her hands were shaking. "I just – I can't."

"I know it must be hard," soothed Taylor. "But you have to show Troy that you can stand to be around him."

"Why do I have to prove anything to him?" whined Gabriella.

"It's more to yourself than anyone," Taylor told her. "But showing Troy rubs it in his face."

"I don't want to rub it in his face," said Gabriella.

"Sure you don't."

"Hi, Gabriella," came a male voice. Gabriella turned and saw a boy from her Calculus class standing there, grinning. "How are you?"

Gabriella looked at Taylor urgently.

"Excuse us," said Taylor quickly, and she grabbed her friend's hand, dragging her out of earshot of the boy. "Talk to him."

"I can't!" she whispered fiercely. "He's a boy!"

"That's the best part!"

"But what if Troy sees?"

"He broke up with you, remember?"

Gabriella blinked. "You're right. I can't talk to boys now. I'm single!" She gasped in realization. "I can _flirt!"_

"There you go!" smiled Taylor. "You've finally realized the perks of breaking up."

Gabriella grinned back. She turned and returned to the boy, beaming. "Sorry about that. It's Jacob, right?"

Jacob nodded. "Yeah. How have your holiday's been?"

She shrugged. A pang of despair seared across her chest, but she just swallowed it. "They've been okay. How are yours?"

* * *

Troy glanced over and saw Gabriella smiling and laughing. With another boy.

He glared daggers. No. She wasn't supposed to move on. He broke up with her. If he couldn't move on, how could she? It wasn't fair.

"Hi, Troy," came a cheerful voice from behind him. Troy glanced over and saw Shelley, one of the East High cheerleaders.

"Hi," said Troy distractedly. He was still focused on Gabriella.

Shelley followed his line of vision. "I heard about you two," she said sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he mumbled.

Wait. He could move on, if he wanted to. No one was stopping him.

"Hey, Shelley, wanna dance?"

* * *

Gabriella was almost out of breath from laughing. "Jacob, I'm gonna get myself a drink. Do you want anything?"

He shook his head. "No thanks, I'm fine. Don't be too long!"

She giggled over her shoulder as she walked away.

She was so proud of herself. She'd been laughing and joking with Jacob for the last twenty minutes, and she hadn't thought of Troy once. Maybe she was truly starting to move on. She glanced around, looking for him.

Gabriella paused, mid-step, as if someone had frozen her. There was Troy, in the middle of the dance floor, making out with that blonde cheerleader.

Tears burned behind her eyes. Her hands shook again and she was breathing deeply. No. This can't be –

She turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could toward the nearest bathroom, ignoring the strange looks she received from other party-goers. She kept her head down, letting her hair hide her eyes.

Gabriella burst into the bathroom right before she let out a loud sob. A few other girls who were in the bathroom looked at her in surprise, but she didn't pay them any attention. She grabbed a few paper towels and locked herself in a stall, crying as quietly as she could.

Eventually, the other girls left and Gabriella was alone. She let her sobs echo louder off the linoleum walls, blowing her nose and dabbing her eyes with the paper towels.

She didn't know how long she was in there for, just that it was long enough for her to let out all the frustration she'd felt. How could Troy do this? Make-out with a girl while was right there? Did he have no shame? Did their year together mean nothing to him?

She stumbled out of the bathroom after fixing the make-up that had run down her cheeks. She ran into someone outside the door and nearly fell over.

"Jason!" she gasped. "What are you doing over here?"

"Looking for you," he said. "Jacob wanted to know where you were. He said you went to get a drink a half hour ago and never came back."

She sighed. "I'm sorry."

Jason looked at her face. "Gabriella, have you been --"

"No!" she said quickly.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," said Jason. "Everyone gets curious sometimes."

Gabriella blinked at him. "What?"

"It's clear you've been smoking pot," said Jason in a matter-of-fact tone. "I can tell by your red eyes."

She opened her mouth and pushed him roughly. "No, you dumbass! I haven't been smoking!"

"Oh." Jason turned the corners of his mouth down. "Then why --"

"I've been crying, okay?"

"What's to cry about?" he asked. "Is the party really that bad?"

"No," she said exasperatedly. "Look, it's nothing."

"Who cries for nothing?" inquired Jason. "That seems dumb."

She sighed. "You'd think I was a freak."

"I'm a freak," he offered.

She let out a small laugh. "No, you're not."

"Well, the only way you'll tell me is if you think I'm a freak too," said Jason.

"Fine." She smiled slightly. "It's just..." She swallowed. "Troy."

"Ah." Jason nodded.

"He's making out with Shelley. I don't get it!" she exclaimed suddenly. "How could he do this to me? Does he not care about me at all? About my feelings?"

Jason shook his head. "No, it's not that at all."

Gabriella blinked. "What?"

"Troy's only with her to make you jealous."

"_What_!?"

"Stop saying that! Look, Troy is hurting. You must know that, because we all know you're hurting too. The only thing that's kept Troy from breaking down is the fact that you haven't moved in. It sounds grim, but he doesn't want to let you go. We all saw you flirting with Jacob. Troy probably didn't like that you seemed to be getting over him, so he tried to show you that he is too."

She shook her head, her eyes closed. "Why does he have to prove it to me?"

"Weren't you trying to prove it to him?"

She gaped up at him. "I-I --"

"You have to talk to him," said Jason with finality. He gave her a push. "Now."

She didn't want to, but she knew she had to. She nodded slowly. "Yeah."

It was like she was in a trance. She seemed to be floating through the ballroom toward Troy. It was as if her body was taking her there without caring what her mind wanted. Her arm lifted itself up to tap Troy on the shoulder when she reached him. A voice that wasn't her own said, "We have to talk." She floated out into the lobby again, the sound of Troy's footsteps behind her.

Once she stopped, her old self came back, along with a surge of anger. "What the fuck is your problem!?" she snapped. Troy stepped back in surprise. "You dump me, and then try to make me jealous? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Gabriella, I --" he sputtered.

"I don't get you, Troy. You break up with me, but then don't want me to move on? Am I supposed to sit around and pine over you while you fuck a bunch of whores?"

His eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "I --"

"Jesus, make up your mind! You obviously don't want me, so why should I still want you?"

"Can you let me talk?" he interjected angrily, and she stopped. However, she was still seething and glaring at him.

He took a deep breath. "I get it, okay? You're pissed. But you have to know how I felt, seeing you with that other guy."

"I wasn't kissing him!" she cried, unable to control herself. "We were just talking. And _you_ --"

"Enough of this 'you dumped me' thing!" he spat, with venom. "You know as well as I do that I only broke up with you because you couldn't do it. Stop telling everyone that I dumped you!"

"I-I haven't," she stammered.

"Then make up _your _mind!"

"Well --"

"And we only broke up a week ago. Obviously we haven't gotten over our relationship in seven days. It hurt me to see you with that guy." Troy frowned, his anger slowly diminishing. "I'm sorry about Shelley. But I hated seeing you with him, so I wanted to get you back. I know it was dumb, though."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. I guess the only reason I talked to that guy was because I knew you were watching. I'm sorry."

"Me too."

She gave him a sad smile. "We don't have to make each other jealous. We'll move on soon. After all, we're over."

"Yeah. Over," he agreed.

They stood in awkward silence for a few moments. "Well, I think I'm gonna get my stuff," said Gabriella finally. "I'm exhausted."

"Okay." Troy watched her walk a few steps before calling out, "Hey, Gabriella?"

She turned. "Yeah?"

"I think --" He gulped nervously. "I think you should start coming to my house again. I know we're not together anymore, but we have the same friends. I don't want you to feel like you're not welcome."

Gabriella's face split into its first true smile the entire night. "Thanks, Troy. I appreciate that."

"Yeah. Anytime."

* * *

"Hey Chad," said Sharpay, bounding over to him.

He smiled. "Hi Sharpay. Great party. If only there was alcohol."

"Yeah, I know," she pouted. "But my parents didn't want to risk losing their liquor license."

"Understandable." Chad glanced over at the door in time to see Gabriella walking out with her coat. "Where's she going?"

Sharpay looked over at Gabriella too. "Oh." She rolled her eyes. "She saw Troy with Shelley, she got upset, she and Troy talked. It wiped her out." She made an irritated noise with her tongue. "She's so dramatic. She's acting like her life sucks."

"Well, she and Troy _did_ date for a year," he reminded her.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she mumbled.

"Aw, is Sharpay upset that she hasn't had a long relationship?" teased Chad. "Wish you had a boyfriend?"

"No," snapped Sharpay.

"Come on, Sharpay," he continued. "Don't be jealous."

Sharpay rested her gaze upon him. "I'd rather be single than have guys cheat on me," she said nastily.

Chad blinked. In the background, people started counting down the new year. "You mean Zeke?"

She didn't respond, instead staring away, unfocused.

"And James?" he said quietly with realization.

"Don't," she said quietly.

He stared at her, not saying anything while everyone cheered, "Happy New Year!" People drank, couples kissed, and the DJ popped a couple fire crackers.

"Happy New Year," said Chad lowly to Sharpay, still staring at her.

She leveled his gaze coolly. "I'm going to find someone to kiss." She pushed her way angrily through the crowd, leaving Chad, clutching a cup of fruit punch, in her wake.

* * *

**AN:** Ooooh dang. So we have some revelations about Sharpay. And yay for the Troy/Gabriella confrontation.

**UP NEXT:**

Right before the end of winter break, the group go to Sharpay and Ryan's cabin in Colorado.


	22. Isn't This a Lovely Day

**AN:** You know, 70ish people have this on alerts and I got an average of ten reviews a chapter. :( Depressing odds.

But for those of you who do find time to review, thanks a bunch! I love them.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Top Hat_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Isn't This a Lovely Day (to be Caught in the Rain)_

"Vacation, all I ever wanted. Vacation, had to get away!"

"Sharpay, vacation is almost over!" groaned Gabriella. She, Taylor, Troy, Chad, Zeke, and Jason had all been watching TV in Troy's living room when Sharpay burst in, signing, with Ryan tailing her.

"So? That doesn't mean we have to be gloomy!" Sharpay stood in front of the TV, obscuring it from view.

"Get outta the way!" ordered Troy.

"No." Sharpay folded her arms over her chest. "I have an announcement to make."

Chad tried to see around her. "Can you say it four feet to the left?"

Sharpay turned around and switched off the TV, and then stepped aside. "There." Before anyone else could interrupt, she continued, "My parents are letting us go our cabin in the mountains this weekend! We leave in two hours."

There was a pause. "Yeah, okay, Sharpay," said Taylor disbelievingly. "Who has the remote?"

"I'm serious! Come on, guys, school starts in three days. Let's go!"

"Where's this cabin of yours?" inquired Chad.

"In Colorado."

"Is it big?"

"Well, _duh_."

"Who's driving?"

Sharpay smiled sweetly at her brother. "Ryan?"

Ryan scowled. "I'll drive the first shift. But we'll take turns."

"Sure we will," said Sharpay quickly, turning back to the others. "What are you waiting for? Get packing!"

"We'll be back by the time school starts, right?" clarified Gabriella.

"Of course!" She grabbed Taylor's and Gabriella's hands. "Let's go. I'm an expert on fast-packing. I'll show you my art."

She tore out of the house, dragging the two girl's with her. The guys blinked in her wake.

"Wait, what just happened?" asked Jason.

"I think we're going away this weekend."

Troy rolled his eyes. "That's great," he said disinterestedly. "Someone get the remote."

* * *

Three hours later, and the group of friends were just pulling out of the Evans's neighborhood.

"I can't believe we were held up by the _guys_," snapped Sharpay from the front seat of their Dodge Explorer.

"It didn't really kick in that we were going to Colorado for a while," admitted Troy.

"You mean until Transformers ended?" quipped Gabriella.

The guys mumbled sheepishly.

Ryan spoke up, "Okay, well, since we left so late, the car ride will take all night," he explained. "I'm thinking we can switch off at two hour intervals?"

"Yeah, okay, Ryan," smiled Sharpay forcefully.

* * *

Four hours later, Sharpay, Chad, Troy, Gabriella, Taylor, Zeke, and Jason were sleeping in the car. Ryan was still driving, his eyes wide and blood-shot. He was gripping the steering wheel tightly, grinding his teeth.

"'Sure we'll switch off,'" he said sarcastically to himself. "'You won't have to drive the whole time, Ryan. We'll take turns!'" He glared at Sharpay. "Bastards making me drive the whole way."

* * *

A few more hours later, the group of friends were piling out of the car to see a gorgeous snow-covered mansion. It looked like a house out of a movie: the wooden house was two stories, snow coating the roof, and a chimney sticking straight up.

"Wow, this is so nice," admired Gabriella.

Ryan stumbled out of the car and glared at them all. "You made me drive all night."

They all looked around at him. "Oh, sorry, Ryan," said Sharpay, not sounding apologetic at all.

"What should we do now?" asked Taylor.

Sharpay looked excited. "There's a ski resort just up the street!"

"Nooo," Ryan whined. "Let's sleep."

"Ryan, we slept in the car," said Chad obviously.

"Fine. Your _driver_ wants to sleep," snapped Ryan.

Troy clapped him on the back. "Don't be such a dick, Ryan. How about this? We'll let you pull over and rest when you drive us back?"

Ryan's eyes widened at the retreating backs of his friends. "No! No, no, no! I am _not_ driving us back. No, someone else is taking on that responsibility!"

He followed all of them inside, where everyone except Sharpay was looking around with dubious expressions.

"Wow."

"Where do we sleep?" asked Taylor.

Sharpay grabbed Taylor's and Gabriella's hands. "I'll show you! Girls, this way!" she called. She led them up the split staircase in the foyer of the house and then turned to the right hallway. She dragged them all the way down the hall, following the bannister than protected them from falling back to the first story. She opened a door and showed them inside.

The room was huge, probably six times as large as Gabriella's room. The carpet was off-white and the walls red, and there were five queen sized beds. A large flat screen TV was on the wall across from the beds, and an open door signified an adjacent bathroom.

"Wow," said Gabriella again.

"This is where I sleep when we stay here," said Sharpay.

Taylor gave her a look. "What do you do with five beds?"

"I sleep in a different one every night." She skipped over to the center bed and jumped on it. "This one is my favorite!"

The boys appeared in the doorway. "Geez," whistled Chad. "Hey, can we bunk with you guys?"

"No boys allowed!" shrieked Sharpay. She jumped up and ushered them outside. She pointed at the doorway directly across from theirs. "That's your room. It's a mirror room of ours."

"Meaning...?" asked Jason.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "_Meaning_ it's exactly the same but on the other side. It has five beds too. Now shoo!" She shut the door in their faces.

Sharpay hopped back over to her bed. "What should we do first?"

"I don't know. I'm not really a fan of the snow." Gabriella wrinkled her nose.

Sharpay gasped. "You don't know how to _ski_!?"

Gabriella shook her head.

"Ryan doesn't either. He's such a wimp."

"I am not a wimp," cried Gabriella.

"You probably don't like the snow because it's too cold, right?" said Sharpay.

"Maybe," Gabriella retorted.

"Well we can't go to that ski resort if Gabriella and Ryan won't do anything," said Taylor.

Sharpay pouted. "Can't we just leave them here?"

"I like Ryan and all, but that might get boring," said Gabriella.

"And Troy wouldn't be happy about that," smirked Sharpay.

Gabriella looked at her strangely. "Troy and I aren't together anymore."

"So? He still wouldn't be happy about it. He's probably still seething from his jealousy over the summer and you kissing him in Hairspray."

Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Well, we could just hang out here," said Taylor.

"I like sledding," suggested Gabriella.

Sharpay gasped loudly. "My dad used to always make us sledding paths in the backyard, because there's a hill. We could _totally_ do that!"

* * *

"Tell me again why we're doing this?" grumbled Chad. He and the boys were in the backyard, shoveling a sledding path for them.

"Because Gabriella and Ryan don't ski, so we have to do this," Sharpay explained for the tenth time. "Now stop asking."

"Why can't we leave them here?"

"That's what _I_ said," scoffed Sharpay. "But that would be mean."

"You've never been above that before."

"Shut up, I am now."

Gabriella and Taylor exited the house, juggling ten sleds in their hands. "I think that's good enough, Sharpay."

"Yeah, let the guys, stop," said Gabriella.

"You heard the women!" cried Jason, and all five boys dropped their shovels simultaneously. They all ran to the top of the hill, which connected with the back porch. The hill extended about five feet before it started to drop, and the guys had constructed a long pathway, give or take forty feet.

"Who wants to go first?" asked Taylor.

Sharpay pointed at Jason. "Test it." She threw him a red sled.

"Fine." Jason took the sled and positioned it on the snow. He bent down to sit on it, but before he could safely situate himself, Chad pushed him, and Jason fell on his stomach. The momentum of the sled caused it to move, and Jason slid, shouting, down the hill and along the path.

By the time he'd stomped back up, the entire front of him covered in snow and his nose red from the fall, the rest of them had managed to compose their laughs. Jason glared at them and threw the sled as hard as he could at Chad. "Fuck you."

"Aw, Jason, such a spoilsport," said Chad sarcastically, wiping snow off the sled.

Jason shivered. "I'm gonna go take a hot shower."

"Don't be a wuss!"

"I want to be a wuss," he snapped. He turned to Sharpay. "Which knob is hot?"

She blinked. "The right one."

As Jason trudged inside, Gabriella muttered, "I thought the left knob was hot?"

"It is."

"Oh yeah, up top!" cried Chad, and Sharpay high-fived him.

"He'll probably stand in the shower for an hour wondering why it's so cold," commented Zeke.

"Who's next?" asked Sharpay.

"Me!" Gabriella exclaimed. She grabbed a purple sled and glared at them all. "No one push me."

She held the sled up to her bottom and sat down. Chad made to push her, but Troy held him back. "Come on, don't."

Gabriella pushed herself down and screamed as she went.

"Um, why'd you stop me?" Chad asked Troy.

Troy shrugged. "She asked you not to push her."

"So?"

"I just didn't want you to."

Chad made a face. "You have to get over her."

"It has nothing to do with getting over her," snarled Troy. "If Taylor had asked the same thing, I would've told you not to push her."

"No, you wouldn't have."

"I would've."

"Stop fighting," said Sharpay irritably. "Who cares?"

"I care, because Troy --"

"Don't even mention me getting over her," interjected Troy angrily. "I _am_ over her and even if I wasn't, what's it to you? What, you didn't get to push her down a hill? Oh, no, huge tragedy." He turned on his heel and stomped into the house.

"Hey guys," announced Gabriella, beaming, as she climbed back onto the deck. Her face was flushed and red. She glanced around. "Where's Troy?"

"He, uh --" Zeke stammered, looking around for help.

"Jason needed his help in the shower," covered Chad. "Something about the water being cold?"

Gabriella giggled. "Okay. Well, that was fun. Who's next?"

* * *

Later that night, the group was gathered in the girl's room. There was four bowls of steaming popcorn, eight mugs of hot chocolate and whipped cream, and various other snacks. A fake fire was burning in the electric fireplace, and all the lights were off. A pile of horror movies were stacked next to the television, and everyone was huddled together on Sharpay's bed, their eyes glued to the screen. 

The film that was playing was 'The Others', a ghost story with Nicole Kidman. Gabriella, who hated scary movies, was sitting up against the headboard of the bed, a pillow up to her eyes and her body low-sunk.

"Scared?" muttered Troy, and she jumped about ten feet in the air.

"Don't do that!" she hissed. Breathing heavily, she said, "Yes, maybe. But as long as we don't watch Saw, I'm fine."

"I don't know, I see it over there," said Troy. "I wouldn't put it past them to force you to watch it."

Gabriella shivered. "I'll leave. I swear, I'll hang out in your room if they watch it."

"Shh!" whispered Sharpay. Chad was lying sideways by Gabriella and Troy's feet, his hand propping his head up, and Sharpay was lying on her back, her head resting on his knees. Sharpay was a huge fan of any and all horror films. "This is the good part."

"You've said that ten times."

"Well, then you should understand by now to _stop talking_."

"Don't worry, if a ghost pops up, I'll protect you," Troy said to Gabriella.

She turned to him. "As friends."

He blinked. "Of course. That's what I meant." She cocked an eyebrow. "I _swear_."

Her face lit into a smile. "Good! Because no one else seems --" As she talked, her eyes were focused on the TV, and a shocking image appeared on it. Everyone jumped, but Gabriella screamed. She'd been holding her hot chocolate, and it slopped all over her. "Shit!"

"Gabriella, this is my bed!" pouted Sharpay.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Sorry my displeasure of scary movies has inconvenienced you."

"It's okay, as long as you clean it up."

"Ugh. Whatever." Gabriella stood up, rubbing her sweatshirt, which now had a brown stain all over the sleeve. The liquid had also burned her arm. She walked over to her own bed to find another sweatshirt. She was glad to have an excuse to stop watching the movie, but not really a fan of what the reason was. She pulled off her red East High sweatshirt and yanked a white Stanford hoodie on instead. She trotted down the stairs and threw her sweatshirt in the washing machine, hoping the stain would come out.

When she emerged from the laundry room, she nearly ran into Troy, who was holding a sponge and towel. He grinned sheepishly. "I figured I'd help you."

She raised her eyebrows. "Wow. Thanks. You didn't have to, though."

Troy shrugged. "Ghost movies aren't my thing."

She grinned. "Yeah. Blood and gore is your thing. You're such a freak."

The two reentered the girls' room. None of the others noticed their presence, too engrossed in the film. Troy and Gabriella worked together to get most of the scalding liquid off Sharpay's comforter.

"Make sure it's clean!"

Gabriella glared at her. "There are _five_ beds in here, remember? If you can't sleep in this one because of a chocolate stain, I'm sure you can find somewhere else."

"I told you, I like this one."

"Oh well. We got it out the best we can," said Troy. "I'll take this back down." He held up the dirty sponge and towel.

Gabriella nodded appreciatively and clambered back onto the bed. Sharpay sat up and scooted back a little, so her back was up against Chad's legs. She bent herself backward and murmured to Gabriella, in a sing-song voice, "Someone still likes yoo-oou."

"You are seee-ing things," Gabriella sang in response. "Trust me, we're _friends_."

"Very polite friends."

"What should friends be?"

"Oh, you've seen us!" scoffed Sharpay. "No one else in this room helped you clean that up. If this movie wasn't so good, we probably would've spilled more just to spite you."

Gabriella raised her eyes upward. "Sharpay," she began, but sighed, deciding not to continue.

"Can you guys shut up?" asked Chad rudely. "I want to see if Nicole's kids die."

* * *

Sharpay was the first one to stir the next morning, at around ten in the morning. She didn't realize at first why her body was so stiff, but when she sat up and saw that eight people had attempted to sleep in the same bed, her thoughts were answered.

Jason had, unfortunately, fallen off the bed and was sprawled on the ground, his mouth open and a small line of drool leaking out of his mouth. Zeke was curled up in a ball at the foot of the bed, trying to keep warm in shorts and a T-shirt. Ryan was teetering on the edge, his left arm flung out over the side. Taylor's head was next to Zeke's, her left hand on his shoulder and her right arm hanging over the edge, similar to Ryan's. Chad was next to her and his arm was stretched out right where she'd been sleeping. Troy and Gabriella were at the headboard, sleeping on the pillows, their backs facing each other.

She threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching. She straightened out her tank top and sweats and yawned. She picked up the remote and flicked off the TV, which had been left on as the last of them fell asleep.

Sharpay skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen, grabbing eight bowls, eight glasses, a pitcher, and an armful of cereal boxes. Not wanting to make various trips, she threw them all into a large picnic basket and hauled it upstairs.

"GOOD MORNING, BAAALTIMORE!" she sang loudly as she entered the room. The other occupants groaned and stirred, Chad sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"What the fuck," he mumbled, blinking in the sunlight. "Why are you waking us up?"

"We have to leave soon," said Sharpay, pointing at the clock. "If we want to be back in time so we won't be too tired for school, that is."

Zeke frowned. "School tomorrow."

"I don't want vacation to be over," complained Ryan.

Jason stood up and cracked his back. "Okay, that was the worst night of sleep I've ever had."

"I slept well," offered Chad.

"Well, you actually stayed on the fuckin bed," snapped Jason. "Look at you selfish bitches, leaving me no room."

"Oh, get over it," said Sharpay. "Look, I brought us breakfast!" She plopped the picnic basket into the middle of the bed. "We have cereal and milk and... that's it."

"Wow, for a minute there, I thought you _cooked_ for us," said Taylor.

Sharpay laughed loudly. "Yeah, right."

"Um, guys," spoke up Gabriella. She was on her knees on the bed and looking out the window. "I think we have a problem."

"What?" Sharpay hopped onto the bed and stood next to Gabriella, glancing out. She gasped loudly. "We're snowed in!"

"How'd that happen?" asked Taylor, her mouth full of Lucky Charms.

"There must've been a snow storm last night," mused Sharpay. "It's not like we watched the weather." She turned slowly to the rest of them. "You know what that means?"

"NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!" cheered Troy with a roar.

"Wooooo!" Sharpay jumped off the bed. "This is cause for celebration."

"Hold on," said Gabriella, the voice of reason. "If it's warm today, the snow could melt. We shouldn't get too excited."

Chad frowned. "Gabriella, you ruin all our fun."

Sharpay jogged out of the room and down the stairs. She lifted the blinds on the windows and was met with nearly all white. "Jesus fucking Christ. We're _really_ snowed in." A thin space of light was shining in from the foot or so that the snow did not reach, but other than that, snow was everywhere. She ran back up the stairs and looked out the window again. "Even if we could leave, the streets are all snowy too."

"I still think there's a chance we'll be able to leave today," maintained Gabriella. "How about we pack up and then watch TV until we can go?"

Chad clapped his hands together. "Well, you heard the woman. Let's watch TV!"

"No, I said after --"

"Good plan, Gabriella," interrupted Sharpay. "I like the way you think."

* * *

It was six o' clock in the afternoon when Troy's cell phone rang. The group of friends had spent the entire day in front of the television, watching everything from Rob Schneider to Steven Spielberg movies, genres ranging from drama to romance. Since they couldn't leave the house, there was nothing else for them to do except watch, and eat.

Troy pulled out his phone. He gasped. "It's my dad."

"We were supposed to be home by now!" exclaimed Gabriella. "And we forgot to call our parents!"

Troy nervously flipped open his phone. "H-hello?"

The volume on Troy's phone was on so loud, and everyone in the room had gotten so quiet, that they could hear Jack Bolton's voice. "Troy, are you almost here? Your mother has dinner ready."

Troy's eyes widened and he gulped. "Actually, Dad, there's been a change of plans..."

"Are all your friends coming over for dinner?" asked Jack in annoyance. "Troy, I told you, if you're going to invite ten people over for dinner, you have to let us know in advance!"

"No, it's not that..."

"Are you close yet?"

Troy sighed. "Dad. We're still in Colorado."

There was a pause. "Bad traffic? Well, you guys will be tired for school tomorrow..."

"No, we... well, we haven't left the house yet."

Another pause. "WHAT!?"

"It's not our fault!" said Troy quickly. "We're snowed in, I swear!"

"Were you planning on calling us at all?" snarled Jack. "Or were you just going to explain it all when you arrived home in a week!?"

"Not a week," protested Troy. "But, you know, a day or so."

"A day or so? So you won't be home for school tomorrow?"

"...probably not."

"TROY!"

"Dad, it's --"

"I knew I shouldn't have let you kids go away the day before school starts," Jack ranted. "I should've known something would 'happen' to keep you there --"

Troy rolled his eyes. "Dad, I'm telling you the truth about the snow. Look, Gabriella will tell you!"

Gabriella opened her mouth in indignation, but Troy had already placed the phone by her ear.

"I don't care what your ex-girlfriend says on the matter, Troy, I --"

"Um, Mr. Bolton?" said Gabriella uncertainly. "Hi, it's Gabriella. Uh," she stammered, "We really are snowed in. We can't open the doors and all the roads are covered snow. We couldn't leave if we tried."

Jack hesitated as Troy took the phone back. "Well, that's still no excuse – you should've --"

"We're not walking home," snapped Troy. "Look, Dad, we're going to leave as soon as we can." He glanced out the window. "The roads are being cleaned of the snow right now, and hopefully the snow will melt enough for us to get out. Happy?"

"I, well – yes."

Troy flipped his phone shut and groaned, throwing himself back on the bed.

"Looks like your dad really loves you," said Chad sarcastically.

Troy sighed. "Sometimes I think I was just born to play basketball."

* * *

The next morning, Troy, the first one to wake up, quickly jumped up to look out the window. He groaned so loudly that everyone else woke up. "The roads are cleared."

"Good, we can go home now," said Gabriella groggily.

"It's not good!" he exclaimed. "We have to go back to school tomorrow."

"We _should_ be in school right now," Taylor reminded him, checking her cell phones. "It's nine. Everyone's in second period."

"I love skipping school and thinking about the losers who are stuck in school," smirked Troy.

"Well, since we've already missed school," mused Chad. "How about we just stay a little longer?"

"Yeah!" agreed Troy enthusiastically. "We can just tell my dad the snow hadn't cleared yet."

"I don't think so," growled a voice outside.

The girls all screamed bloody-murder and the guys jumped up in defense mode. They all relaxed when Jack walked in, although not rightly so.

"Dad," said Troy, breathing heavily. "It's just you."

Jack walked over to his son menacingly. "Planning on staying a little longer, are we?"

Troy's eyes darted to his friends for help but none of them gave it. "I --"

"Coach Bolton, how'd you get here?" inquired Gabriella.

"The Evans gave me a key and directions," responded Jack without removing his glare from Troy.

"Hey, Coach Bolton, aren't _you_ supposed to be at school?" challenged Sharpay. "Are _you_ skipping?"

"I took a personal day to get my idiot son and his dumbass friends home," spat Jack and Sharpay recoiled behind Chad. "Everyone, out."

The all obediently filed out of the room, still in the clothes they'd slept in. "Boys, wait. I want you all to carry the bags down."

The guys groaned. "Dad, the girls have so much stuff," whined Troy.

"They'll be busy cleaning the kitchen."

"This is my cabin, and I don't want to clean the kitchen!" said Sharpay defiantly.

Jack leered at her. "Should I tell your parents that you guys drank all their alcohol?"

Sharpay gaped. "Are you threatening me?"

"Just do what he says," muttered Chad to her.

Sharpay pouted. "Fine!" She stomped out of the room, complaining about slave labor.

* * *

**AN:** I have to say, I like the second half of this chapter better. But wutev. You guys decide.

And, I also have to say, I really like the next chapter. At least, from what I can remember.

**UP NEXT:**

Lila and Morris's wedding.


	23. Me and My Baby

**AN:** Writing chapter 40!

Also, apparently clarification is needed – the TxG and CxS in the summary means that this is a Troy/Gabriella and Chad/Sharpay story. I wouldn't lie. So people can stop asking if this is going to be a Chadpay and if Troyella with get back together. I hate giving stuff away in my stories, but the answer to both of those are yes. I'm not telling you when, why, how, or anything else, though.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Chicago_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Me and My Baby_

"_We invite you to join in a special day in our lives, the joining of Lila Rachael Schaeffer and Morris Aaron Goldblum as wife and husband_," recited Chad. He, Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Taylor, Ryan, Zeke, and Jason were all holding up formal invitations whilst sitting in various positions in Troy's den.

"I can't believe your grandmother is getting married," said Taylor in disbelief.

"I can't believe we're invited," Zeke added.

"I can't believe _I'm_ invited!" exclaimed Gabriella. "I'm the one she hates."

"Well, that took a bit of convincing," confessed Troy. "When I asked her if I could invite you all, she said she would set aside six invitations. I reminded her that there were seven people, and she said that she didn't want to invite the girl who broke my heart."

Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"My mom talked her into it, though," he continued. "My grandmother is just happy that a bunch of Jewish girls will be there and she can set me up."

"Luckily this time, you can take her up on her offer," said Gabriella. "Now that you're single."

"Yeah," said Troy slowly.

Sharpay looked in between the two of them and jumped up. "Gabriella, come with me. I'm thirsty."

"You can just get water at the bar," Gabriella told her, pointing.

"I like the kitchen water." She grabbed her friend's hand and yanked her into the hallway, leading her down it and into the kitchen. "Troy is _sooo_ not over you," she burst out.

Gabriella sighed. "Sharpay, this is really starting to piss me off. You need to leave us alone. He _is_ over me."

Sharpay shook her head. "No, he's not. You're the one who insinuated that he could hook up with those hot, big-nosed Jewish girls, not him."

"Yes, he did."

"No, he just mentioned it. He wanted you to get jealous."

Gabriella sighed exasperatedly. "Stop talking about stuff you don't know anything about. Troy and I have no jealousy between us. We talked all about this on New Years."

"You talked about it, sure," said Sharpay, shrugging nonchalantly. "And maybe you agreed not to _purposefully_ make each other jealous. But it's still there. Just swirling between you two like... swirly stuff," she said lamely. "Are you telling me that if Troy hooks up with some Jew tonight, you won't care?"

"Well, maybe I will... a little," Gabriella admitted. "But that's only because we dated for so long."

"I don't feel jealous of any of Zeke's girlfriends," countered Sharpay.

"You guys broke up three months ago!" cried Gabriella. "And you were soooo jealous of him for, like, a whole month. Remember Homecoming!?"

Sharpay folded her arms. "Irregardless."

"Irregardless of what?" Sharpay didn't respond. "Thank you."

As Gabriella made her way back to the den, she ran into Lila, who was surprisingly calm for a woman who was getting hitched the following day. But then again, she was sixty-nine. "Oh, Gabriella." Lila smiled at her, and Gabriella took a step back, suspiciously. "I hope you can come to the wedding, but I won't take it personally if it's too hard for you."

"Why would it be hard for me?"

"Well, you know. Because of Troy," said Lila sympathetically.

Gabriella smiled back at her. "Oh, no, it's fine, Miss Schaeffer. Troy and and I are on good terms. Don't worry, I'll be at the wedding."

Lila's smile twitched. "Oh. Well, I hope you don't mind if you see Troy with another girl. I had someone in mind, you know."

Gabriella forced herself not to roll her eyes. "Don't worry about it," she said again. "Troy can date any girl he wants. We're not together anymore. I just hope you fix him up with a nice girl."

Lila narrowed her eyes. "I will," she said slowly, as if trying to decipher the motive of Gabriella's cheeriness.

"See you tomorrow!" beamed Gabriella, striding back into the den. She collapsed on the couch in the middle of the room, and moaned, "Why am I going? She hates me."

"Because if you don't go, you'll be stuck doing nothing all Saturday," said Chad.

"And free food!" suggested Ryan.

"And champagne," Jason reminded her. "All we have to do is get Sharpay to work her magic and we'll be wasted."

Troy pouted. "I won't be able to. I'll have to spend all my time with my parents."

"And flirting with Jewish girls," said Chad.

"Oh please," Troy rolled his eyes. "I'm not interested in them."

"Mhm," Chad smirked at Jason, Ryan, and Zeke. "I've heard some Jewish girls are pretty slutty."

"And hot."

"And wild."

Sharpay rolled the eyes. "I have never heard that before. And there are girls _everywhere_ that are slutty, hot, and wild."

Jason frowned. "But how can you see their faces behind their big noses?"

"I resent that," said Gabriella. "Not all Jewish girls have big noses. That girl who Lila tried to set Troy up with on Hanukkah didn't have a big nose. And there are girls with big noses who aren't Jewish."

"Well, there's a freak of nature in every bunch," Chad said.

* * *

"I honestly never thought I'd come back here," mused Chad as they stepped into the temple, the same one they'd been to on Hanukkah. "I didn't think we'd be _allowed_ back in, actually. After pantsing your grandmother and everything."

Troy smirked. "I think everyone was so annoyed at her that they let it slide." He glanced around. "It looks different."

"Well, that's because they're conducting a wedding, not just services," Gabriella told him.

Troy blinked at her. "How do you know that?"

"Common sense, Troy," she said condescendingly.

"Kids, take your seats," hissed Becca to them. They all filed into chairs in the second row, on the bride's side.

"Aw, Troy, Grandma didn't put you in the wedding?" asked Chad, faking sadness.

"No. The ceremony is only gonna be, like, ten minutes long."

"That's it?" asked Taylor.

"Well, they've both already been married," said Troy. "I guess they don't really care about the wedding details as long as it happens."

"That's so cute, old people love," sighed Gabriella. "If Lila wasn't a total... well, B-word, and I wasn't stuck wondering what Morris sees in her, I would think it's adorable."

"'B-word?' Gabriella, we've all heard the word before, you can say it," said Chad sarcastically.

"Well." Gabriella half-glanced at Troy. "I don't want to actually call her it."

"Do it, do it," chanted Chad, Jason, Ryan, and Zeke.

"No."

"Come on!"

"Nooo." Gabriella frowned. "How about I say it tomorrow?"

"Why tomorrow?"

"Because it's her wedding."

Chad pointed a finger at her. "I'm holding you to that."

* * *

"Wasn't that such a lovely wedding?" sighed Sharpay dreamily as the wedding party slowly filed into the temple's ballroom.

Gabriella gave her a look. "It was boring."

Sharpay glared. "Look who's talking, Miss-I-Can't-Call-Her-A-Bitch-Because-It's-Her-Wedding."

"That doesn't mean it was an amazing wedding," countered Gabriella. "It was only ten minutes long, and I still fell asleep."

"Troy!"

The group of friends glanced around and saw a guy jogging toward them, who looked almost exactly like Troy. They all stared.

"Dude, is this your twin brother that your parents didn't like so they shipped him away?" asked Chad.

Troy and the other guy hugged. "No, this is my cousin!" Troy exclaimed. "His name is Zac."

Zac smiled and waved at them. "Hey."

Sharpay leaned over and whispered to Gabriella, "He's hotter than Troy."

Gabriella shook her head with a slight eye roll.

Troy went down the line, introducing them all.

"So, Zac," giggled Sharpay flirtatiously. "Are you Jewish too?"

They all sent her strange looks. Zac nodded. "Yeah, my mom is Aunt Becca's sister."

"Why couldn't Lila have lived with you?" muttered Chad.

Zac grinned. "My mom kept her religion, but Grandma probably wanted to get back at Becca."

"You'd think with all the complaining she does about us celebrating Christmas would be enough for her to live with you," said Troy.

"Well, I'm not gonna talk her into it," Zac said.

Gabriella rolled her eyes again. "You'd have to be crazy to do that."

Zac smiled at her. "Yeah."

Troy looked between them uneasily and cleared his throat. "Let's go sit down. Zac, I think you're sitting at our table..."

He led them over to the middle of the room, where a bunch of small, circular tables were placed. Taylor nudged Gabriella and winked at her, motioning to Zac.

Gabriella shook her head and mouthed, "No!"

Lagging behind, Zac said to Chad, "So, that Gabriella girl is kinda cute. Is she single?"

Chad smirked at Zeke. "Oh, yeah, she's single."

"One hundred percent single, in fact," Zeke added.

Zac smiled. "Good. Maybe I'll ask her to dance with me or something."

"You know what you should do," suggested Chad, "is ask for Troy's advice. He and Gabriella are pretty close."

"_Very_ close," agreed Zeke. "Two people can't get much closer, in fact."

Zac beamed. "Great! I'll do that."

Chad and Zeke snickered.

At the table, Gabriella was in the process of sitting down next to Sharpay when the blonde gripped her arm, causing her to fall into her chair. "Sharpay, what --" Gabriella began angrily, but Sharpay's glare silenced her.

"Listen, I saw Zac checking you out," she snapped, "and you better stay away."

"Stay away? What are you talking about?"

"First, you stole Troy away from me. Now, I was able to get over him --"

"After six months," Gabriella grumbled, but Sharpay ignored her.

"-- so I'll give you that. But now his look-a-like long-lost brother, except _totally_ hotter, is here! I'm not letting you get him, Gabriella Montez!"

Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "Trust me, you can have him. You won't be getting any fighting from me this time."

Sharpay's face broke into a smile. "Good. Now, what is there to eat?"

* * *

While most of the group was immersed in conversation, Zac pulled Troy aside. "Hey, I wanna talk to you about something."

"Yeah?"

"Gabriella."

Troy frowned. "Oh."

"I hear she's single and that you two are really close. Wanna hook me up?"

"I wonder who told you that," said Troy sarcastically, glancing at Chad. Zac didn't seem to notice his tone, however, as he continued to look hopeful. "Hmm..." drawled Troy thoughtfully. "You'll probably want to know some of Gabriella's favorite things, won't you?"

Zac nodded eagerly. "That would be preferable."

"Okay, here's the run-down," said Troy seriously. "She loves hunting. A guy that kills animals for meat and fur really turns her on. Horror movies and hard death metal music are musts. Oh, and she's very high-maintenance. A guy who can buy her lots of designer clothes and hold her bags also goes in her good book. Paris Hilton is pretty much her role model."

"Really?" Zac glanced at Gabriella, dressed in a modest black dress. "She doesn't look it."

"Well, see that girl?" He pointed at Sharpay, who was dressed exuberantly in a bright green dress. "She begged Gabriella not to outshine her tonight."

"Oh, okay." Zac nodded understandingly. "What does she hate? Just so I can steer clear of them."

"Good idea," said Troy. "Well, she absolutely despises school work. Anything Calculus or Physics related puts her right to sleep. Same with musicals. Whenever we watch them, she throws a fit."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"I think that's – no, wait, one more thing. Her ex is this really big basketball player, and if he finds out you hit on her, he'll kill you."

Zac smirked. "Oh, don't worry about that. Our relationship won't stem past tonight."

Troy frowned. "Okay."

Zac thanked him again before sitting down next to Gabriella, on her other side. Sharpay battered her eyes at him, but Zac ignored her.

"So, Gabriella," he smiled pleasantly. Gabriella smiled politely back at him and took a sip of the champagne Sharpay had managed to get for them. "Did you know that I hunt?"

Gabriella blinked at him. "Um, no... I wasn't aware of that."

"Oh, yeah, all the time!" he exclaimed obnoxiously. "I love it. The thrill that you're ending the life of an animal for its meat, I just can't get enough of it."

Gabriella gaped and Sharpay sniggered behind her hands quietly. "That's... interesting."

"You know what I _can_ get enough of?" Without waiting for a response, he plowed on, "Musicals."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yeah, musicals bore me to death." He shook his head. "Everything about them. The idea of people breaking into song and dance is just... egh! You know?"

"Yeah," said Gabriella slowly. "Just... egh." She chanced a look over at Troy, who was hiding a smile. She grinned over at him too.

The band that was performing – some old person's band – starting to strum out a slow song. Zac stood up and offered his hand. "Would you like to dance?"

Gabriella sighed. "Sure." Zac took her hand and led her over to the dance floor. Gabriella felt eyes burning into the back of her head, and she turned her head around, expecting to see Troy, but instead spying Sharpay's glare. Gabriella looked at her apologetically.

Gabriella awkwardly put her arms around Zac's neck as the two started to sway to the music. She was already counting down the seconds until the song ended.

"So, how are you?" asked Zac.

She half-shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess. Kind of... tired."

"Look, I'm just gonna cut to the chase," interrupted Zac. "I think you're pretty hot. Do you wanna go outside and... hang out?"

Gabriella narrowed her eyes. "No."

Zac cleared his throat. "Why not?"

"I just... you're not really my type, I guess."

"I'm not?" Zac sounded thoroughly shocked. "But I-I thought --"

"It's not that there's anything wrong with you!" said Gabriella quickly. "You're very nice. But we just don't seem to have the same interests."

"I thought those were your interests."

Gabriella laughed. "Whoever told you that doesn't know me very well." She caught Troy's eye and he looked down quickly. "Hey, but that blonde girl over there, Sharpay? She's really nice. I think you two would hit it off."

Zac mumbled something disinterestedly. The rest of the dance was spent without them talking, making it incredibly awkward. As soon as the last note was strung, Zac dropped his arms from her waist and made a beeline for his parents. Gabriella walked back to their table and plopped down next to Troy.

"That was mean."

"What was?" asked Troy innocently.

"What you did to Zac. Telling him all the stuff I 'hated.'" She used air-quotes, smirking.

"Oh, that." Troy laughed.

"Well, thanks."

Troy looked at her in surprise. "Thanks?"

"Yeah. I really didn't want to 'hang out' with him anyway, as he put it."

"Oh." He looked confused, but he didn't press it. "Well... you're welcome."

"And I know you didn't do it out of jealousy," she continued. "It was because you knew I wasn't interested. That makes it even better."

"Yeah." Troy nodded. "That's it."

She gave him one last smile before going back to her original seat.

"Yeah, _that's_ why you did it," muttered Chad to him.

"Shut up!" he hissed.

* * *

"I just want to say, congratulations to my mother," said Becca, holding up a flute of champagne during the speeches. "I'm very happy that she has been able to find love at her... age," she faltered, blushing slightly. "And I know that Morris will make her a very happy woman. Congratulations, Ma."

"Oh, Rebecca, stand up straighter!" Lila snapped over the applause. Becca kept up her poker face, and Troy knew it was because it was Lila's wedding. Only after she'd taken her seat did she scowl. "Jack, don't you have anything to say?" asked Lila sweetly of her son-in-law.

Troy's father looked alarmingly at his wife, who stared back at him blankly. He waited for her to make an excuse for him, but none came. He sighed and stood up slowly, holding out his champagne glass high in front of him. "To Lila and Morris," he said after a short pause. "Let us all forever wonder what he sees in you." He took a long drink, and everyone was silent for a few seconds before breaking into applause. Those at Troy's table clapped the loudest.

"Go Coach Bolton!" cheered Chad, actually giving a standing ovation.

Zeke whistled loudly.

Becca took hold of her husband's arm and yanked him back down next to her, pretending to look angry. Jack shrugged innocently and took another drink.

"I think Coach is my new hero," said Jason.

Lila looked flushed and confused, while Morris put his arm around her. Her face registered a look of annoyance at the gesture.

"To Lila and Morris!" cried out Gabriella, much to everyone's surprise. Lila, Morris, Becca, Jack, Troy, and others all looked at her as she held up her champagne glass. "May they enjoy a long and pro...fitable marriage," she stammered, stumbling over her words.

"I think you mean 'prosperous,'" mumbled Taylor.

"Whatever," slurred Gabriella, draining her flute.

"Oooh, I get it. She's drunk," said Jason knowingly.

Gabriella reached across the table for a full glass, knocking down some empty ones in the process. "Whoops." She giggled uncontrollably.

"I've never seen Gabriella like this before," mused Sharpay.

"Dom Perignon is the best," Gabriella said aloud. "Sharpay, are you gonna drink that?"

"Yes."

"Can I have it?"

"No."

"... please?"

"No." Gabriella reached for the glass anyway, and Sharpay slapped her hand away.

Jack appeared at their table, looking at them sternly. "How the hell did you guys get champagne?"

No one spoke.

He sighed. "Come on, Gabriella, let's get you home." He grabbed the teenage girl's upper arm, but she protested.

"Wait, lemme just --" She staggered over to a nearby server and grabbed four glasses of sparkling champagne, two grasped in each hand. "Now we can go."

"I don't think so," countered Jack. He removed the glasses from Gabriella's hands and placed them on the nearest table, which proved to be a mistake. The table was Troy's table, and Chad, Zeke, Sharpay, and Taylor all dived for a glass and downed it before Jack could realize his error.

"Noooo," whined Gabriella, frowning. "I wanted that," she pouted.

"Hey Dad, I'll take her home," volunteered Troy, standing up.

"No you won't. You're wasted."

"Actually, I think you've consumed more alcohol than I have," Troy said.

Jack narrowed his eyes, contemplating. "Well... okay. But if you crash and die, I will be _really_ pissed at you."

Troy nodded. "I'll try to prevent that scenario." He grabbed Gabriella's arm and led her out of the room, walking slowly to keep her from tripping. "Jesus, the last time you've been this drunk is..." He paused. "Actually, the last time you've been drunk at all was that party I threw at the beginning of the year."

"I hate beer," she announced. "But if you had champagne at your house, I would aaaalways drink it. I would breathe it. I would bathe in it."

"That's something I wouldn't mind seeing."

Gabriella shoved him roughly. "You perv."

Troy guided her outside and into the passenger seat of his car. He jogged around the front of the car and took his place in the driver's seat, starting the engine and pulling out of the temple parking lot.

Gabriella yawned very largely and un-ladylike. "Thanks for taking me home, Troy," she said sleepily, bringing her legs up underneath her and curling herself into a comfortable position. "You're a good friend."

He nodded. "I do what I can."

Her eyes drooped and her head slowly fell back and hit the headrest, jerking her awake again. "My head is really heavy."

"Well, that's probably because you're intoxicated."

"Oh, no. I'm gonna have a hangover tomorrow, aren't I?"

"Most likely."

She put a hand to her forehead. "Would you get mad if I threw up in your car?"

"Probably."

She frowned. "Gee, thanks."

"Not at you. Mad at... the world," he covered.

"Oh. Well, I'm not going to. I was just testing you."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I would be more mad if Chad or, say, Sharpay threw up in my car."

She shrugged. "Well, you and I slept together, so I guess I'm merited to some advantages, right?"

"Right."

They were silent for a few moments as Troy maneuvered his way through the dark, quiet neighborhoods of Albuquerque. It hit Troy, when they were a block away from her house, that he was actually alone with Gabriella for the first time since their breakup. Not counting their conversations during New Years and their trip to Colorado. They were actually alone, in his car, talking. The thought made him shiver.

"Gabriella, I've been thinking..."

He paused, waiting for an invitation to continue, or at least an indication that she was listening, but with a short glance in her direction, he saw that she was sleeping. He gave her a small smile as he pulled up to her house.

And here, he was faced with a huge dilemma: how to get her into the house. There were a few possibilities. One, he could drag her, literally, up to her front step and leave her there for her mom to find in the morning and hope she was not abducted by an insane serial rapist-slash-killer. Two, he could leave her on the front step, ring the doorbell, and run away. Three, he could ask her mother to carry her inside.

But he decided on the nonexistent option four, in which he carried Gabriella – no dragging – to the door and, still holding her, rang the doorbell, and did not run away.

Miss Montez opened the door, the song Bed by J Holiday playing in the background. "Troy!" she exclaimed, surprised. She checked her watch. "It's only nine, I didn't think Gabriella would be home so early. What... happened?" She glanced at her daughter, whom she had only just noticed was not conscious.

"Oh." Troy blanched; he hadn't expected that question. "You see, Gabriella drank too much... apple juice."

"Apple juice?" said Miss Montez skeptically. Troy nodded. "They served apple juice at your grandmother's wedding? And Gabriella passed out from having too much?" she repeated slowly.

Troy laughed nervously. "Yeah, crazy, huh? It turns out the Jews have a large fondness of anything apple and... juicy, so put them together and they go crazy!"

Miss Montez clearly did not believe him, but she let him off the hook. "Why don't you take Gabriella to her room?"

"Me?"

"Well, you're already holding her. Might as well."

"Oh." Troy swallowed. "Yeah, okay." He carefully stepped around Miss Montez and walked up that familiar staircase, down the familiar hallway, and into the familiar room with the familiar furniture that he hadn't seen since the breakup.

He cautiously placed Gabriella on her bed and unfolded the quilt her aunt had made her for her sixteenth birthday, covering her with it. Wanting to get out of there as soon as he could, he shut off the light and ran back to his car.

* * *

**AN:** Maria is a Troyella shipper. :P

Fun fact: the only time my mom has ever gotten drunk and enjoyed it was when it was off of Dom Perignon champagne.

**UP NEXT:**

Gabriella is upset when Troy doesn't remember a special day.


	24. I Feel Like I'm Not Out Of Bed Yet

**AN:** Hey readers. Merry Christmas! Or if you are Jewish like me, or practice another religion, happy, uh... Tuesday morning.

The chapter title comes from the musical _On the Town_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_I Feel Like I'm Not Out Of Bed Yet_

_I wonder if he'll remember. He'll remember... right?_

Gabriella shook her head. She hated when she talked to herself. It made her think she was going crazy. She took a deep breath, for reasons unbeknownst to her, and opened the door to Troy's den. Even though she'd been doing it for three weeks, she still felt nervous for a split second every time she went in there.

But, as usual, everything was normal. Troy was sitting in an armchair and watching TV, while Chad and Sharpay were on the couch and Ryan in another chair. "Where's everyone else?" asked Gabriella casually as she sat down next to Chad.

"Zeke's with a girl," responded Troy. "Jason's out of town with his parents, and Taylor is... I don't know."

"Taylor's running errands with her mom," Ryan supplied.

Gabriella chanced a side-glance at Troy, who was unblinkingly focused on the television. She sighed loudly. "Nice day."

Sharpay, from Chad's other side, leaned forward and made a face at Gabriella. "It's, like, the coldest day of the year. The entire sky is gray."

Gabriella blushed slightly. "Well, uh... I like it."

"What_ever_," said Sharpay skeptically.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only noise coming from the television. Gabriella shot Troy frequent gazes, saying at last, "So, Troy, do you have any plans for today?"

Troy shook his head. "No. Today will be pretty uneventful. Since it's Sunday, I'll probably start my homework at midnight."

"So... you have _nothing_ going on today?" pressed Gabriella. "No plans? Nothing special about today?"

Troy thought for a few seconds, and shook his head. "Nothing whatsoever."

Gabriella sighed in frustration and stood up, stomping out of the house and slamming the door behind her.

Chad and Ryan blinked after her and exchanged perplexed glances. "What's her problem?"

"Yeah, I thought she was off the birth control," said Chad.

Sharpay rolled her eyes and shoved him in the shoulder. "Of course she is."

"So she's just PMSing?"

"No!" she snapped. She looked at Troy. "_You_ know what's wrong with her, don't you?"

"What?" asked Troy in surprise. "Um... no."

"Um... yes," Sharpay said, mimicking Troy's deep voice.

"That doesn't sound like me at all," said Troy defiantly.

"Actually, it kinda does," said Chad thoughtfully. "Nice job, Sharpay. You have a talent at impersonating male voices."

She glared at him. "Shut up." She turned back to Troy. "And you're so lying. I know you know what today is."

"What is today?" Chad asked Ryan.

Ryan answered, "Um... Sunday? The twentieth?"

"Exactly," said Sharpay.

"Sunday?"

"No."

"The twentieth?"

"Yes!"

Troy still hadn't said anything, and Sharpay narrowed her eyes at him.

"Troy, stop being so damn stubborn."

"I'm not being stubborn!" said Troy defensively.

"Then just admit you know what today is!"

Troy sighed. "Fine! Fine. I know what today is. Happy?"

"I am, but Gabriella isn't."

Chad looked at Ryan. "Are you as lost as I am?"

"I sure am."

Chad asked Sharpay, "What's going on?"

"Just think. What happened a year ago? In January?"

"Um... you were more a bitch than usual?"

"And why?"

"Because you... I don't know. I was going to say you were PMSing but I already said that."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on. You_ have_ to remember. What did you and Troy do yesterday?"

"We had our championship basketball game. And we fucking dominated!"

"Yes. Did you have one last year?"

"Duh."

"Did you have any problems last year?"

Chad thought. "Well... just the whole musical thing."

"YES!" exclaimed Sharpay. "We're making progress."

"And that's why you were bitchy."

"Getting warmer."

"And that's when Gabriella moved here."

"Almost there..."

Ryan gasped loudly. "It's their one-year anniversary!"

"Of what?" asked Chad, confused.

"Troy and Gabriella's one-year anniversary," said Sharpay. "Well, what would be their anniversary."

"Thanks," said Troy sarcastically, "for that reminder."

"It's a fact," Sharpay retorted in defense.

"Wait... why is Gabriella mad?"

"Yeah, did she forget they broke up?"

Sharpay opened her mouth to respond, but then stopped. "You know... I'm not sure." She rounded on Troy again. "But there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

Troy pouted. "No." A pillow connected with his head. "Hey!"

"Troy Bolton, you get your ass up and talk to Gabriella or I _swear_ I will beat you up."

"Sharpay hits pretty hard," offered Ryan. "At least, she did when she was nine. I imagine it's doubled with her age."

Troy scowled. "I will not allow myself to be ordered around by a hundred pound blonde with twinkle-star toenails."

The next thing he felt was a searing pain in his shin, and he doubled over with a grunt. He looked up and saw Sharpay standing in front of him, staring down at him with a triumphant smile. Her hands were placed on her hips. "I'm ninety-seven pounds," she corrected him, pointing to the back door.

If looks could kill, Sharpay would be dead. But Troy took heed of her word and limped out of the den, mumbling obscenities under his breath.

* * *

Gabriella was back in bed. She hadn't been bed-ridden since the immediate days following the break-up, but she had returned to her self-pity. She'd originally planned on staying in for the main fact that it was her would-be one-year anniversary, but Sharpay had convinced her not to. After all, she'd said, Troy will probably remember too. He's less over you than you are of him. And whenever Sharpay told Gabriella not to feel sorry for herself, she listened.

But Sharpay was wrong, so here Gabriella was. She wasn't crying, though; in fact, she was more pissed than upset. Troy was the type of guy that remembered things like anniversaries; she figured he would remember theirs. She rolled her eyes. Well, obviously she was stupid. They were broken up. It's unusual to remember anniversaries with your ex. Taylor and Chad didn't. Neither did Sharpay or Zeke.

_But we were so much more serious than them_.

"Shit!" she said aloud. "Stop doing that!"

"Talking to yourself?"

Gabriella jumped and fell off her bed.

Embarrassed, she got up quickly and glared at her visitor. "Don't do that ever again!"

Troy grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. But, uh... who were you talking to?" He looked around, as if trying to spy someone.

"Oh, um... myself."

"Oh? Did you have a nice conversation?"

"Not really. I was telling myself to shut up."

"...oh. Did yourself listen?"

"I can't tell yet." She clambered back onto her bed. "Do you need something?"

He shuffled his feet and kept his head down. "I wanted to talk about today."

"Troy, it's totally fine."

"No it's not. I shouldn't have --"

"Hey, Troy?" she tried. He looked up. "I'm being one hundred percent honest when I say I don't want to talk to you right now."

He frown deepened. "Gabriella --"

"Can you come back later?" she plowed on. "Don't take it personally. I just have to think some things over."

Troy looked confused. "Um... okay." He turned to leave but paused. "You're not doing that girl thing, right? Where you say you're fine and when I believe you, you get mad?"

She laughed lightly. "No, I'm not doing the girl thing. I really do need to be alone for now. Can you come back in a couple hours?"

"Sure."

As Troy was leaving, he heard the radio on in the kitchen. The volume increased significantly as the Timbaland song The Way I Are came on, and Gabriella screamed from her room, "MOM, TURN DOWN THE DAMN SONG!"

* * *

"Vodka."

"Tequila."

"Vodka."

"Tequila!"

"Vodka!"

"Tequila is better because of Tila Tequila."

"Vodka is better because it looks like water."

"So?"

"_Sooo_, then you can put it in a water bottle and no one will know the difference."

"Well... Tila Tequila is a playboy model."

Jason had joined Sharpay, Chad, and Ryan in Troy's den, having returned from his out-of-town shopping trip with his parents, and Jason and Chad were currently having a heated debate on which alcoholic drink was better. Jason was for tequila, and Chad for vodka.

"Does it really matter?" asked Sharpay from between them. "They're both good."

"But tequila is better."

"Vodka."

"Do I have to _show_ you pictures of Tila Tequila?"

"I've seen Tila Tequila. She's the nasty looking slut who looks like she's done some serious drugs."

"Well... on her MTV show, she makes out with girls."

Chad paused. "... really?"

Sharpay sighed in frustration. "What does Tila Tequila have to do with the drink?"

"You see, Sharpay," said Jason sarcastically, "her last name is Tequila."

"But it's not her _real_ last name."

"Is too!"

Sharpay and Ryan exchanged amused glances. "No, it's not," said Ryan, laughing. "I have a very strong feeling it's not."

"How awesome would it be if your last name was really tequila, though?" said Chad. "Or vodka? Brandy?"

"Brandy actually is a name," Sharpay reminded him.

"Or whiskey. Martini." His eyes widened excitedly. "BEER!"

"You sound like a caveman," said Sharpay disgustedly.

"I'm naming my first child Beer," Chad announced with finality.

"What if it's a girl?" asked Sharpay.

"Is Beer a boy's name?" Ryan asked her.

"It sounds like it." She shrugged.

"I'm naming it Beer whether it's a boy or a girl," said Chad.

"Beer Danforth," mused Sharpay. "I think this is the kind of thing you have to tell every girl on your first date. Because the woman who is okay with that is the one you should marry. There's probably only one out there like that."

"Do you like it?"

She made a face. "NO!" she spat. "Are you crazy?"

"Well, he's naming his kid Beer," Ryan reminded her.

"I might not," Chad retorted. "I could change my mind. I'm simply an immature teenager right now, after all," he said pompously.

"Yeah, that's true," said Sharpay irritably. "I have no idea how I found myself in the middle of a Vodka versus Tequila argument."

* * *

Troy hadn't felt like going back to his house after he left Gabriella's. So, to kill time, he got a sandwich at Subway, rented a couple movies from Blockbuster, got a Jamba Juice, got another sandwich from Subway (receiving a couple puzzled looks from the employees in the process), and ended up back at Gabriella's house.

Unfortunately, only one hour had passed.

Troy sat in his car outside, wondering if Gabriella would notice him. Her room was at the back of her house. Maybe he could just sit in his car for the next three hours. His cell phone had some pretty cool games.

He'd just pulled it out and readied himself for some intense games of Tetris and Solitaire, when he noticed the front door of Gabriella's house opening. Said girl stepped outside and waved at him.

His cheeks heated up in embarrassment. Gabriella trotted down to the passenger window and knocked on it. He rolled it down and she said, "Come on out."

Troy stepped outside his car and walked around the front of it, joining Gabriella on the front steps of her house.

"You're here early," she grinned at him as he sat down.

He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.

"I was actually about to go to your house," she admitted. "But you being here saved me time, gas, and energy."

"Well, it looks as if my mission in life has been fulfilled."

"Oh, has it?"

"Yup. Number one was: help Gabriella save time, gas, and energy. On to number two: go to Pluto."

"That might be hard, since it takes about ninety years to get there."

"Well, scratch _that_ off the list."

Gabriella giggled. "I guess since you're here, we can talk."

Troy nodded, saying nothing.

"I want to let you know, that I _am_ over you," she said. "And... I mean that in the nicest possible way. I wasn't sure how to say it before, and that's why I didn't want to talk... but it's true and I can't avoid it."

"I'm over you too," said Troy before he could stop himself. He felt surprised after the words left his mouth. He wasn't sure he had been, but, hearing the words escape him so easily, it had to be true.

She smiled. "Good. And I know it's dumb, but I was upset that you didn't remember our anniversary."

"I did," he said, and she blinked in surprise.

"Really? So why'd you pretend you didn't?"

He sighed. "I... I don't know. I just felt like I shouldn't remember it."

She nodded. "I felt that way too. But the truth is, I do remember it and I probably always will. We were together for so long and I'll probably always love you in some way. I guess... I'll always have leftover feelings."

"Yeah." He paused, and then added, "You'll always be special to me, Gabriella."

"Aww, you're so sweet, Troy!" she cooed.

"Well, it's true. Trust me when I say it."

She nodded her head. "I will. It's the same for me. I'll always look back on our relationship with happy memories." She smiled.

"Me too." He smiled back.

Their attention was drawn to the car that had just parked in front of Gabriella's house, blasting weird punk music. The windows rolled down and the couple saw that Chad was driving, with Sharpay in the passenger seat and Jason and Ryan in the back seat.

"What the hell are you listening to?" yelled Troy over the noise as they approached the car.

"Tila Tequila!" Jason responded.

"I thought that was a porn star?"

"Turns out she sings too!"

"Are you guys planning on coming back to Troy's house?" Sharpay asked loudly.

"Yeah, we just had to talk some things over," said Gabriella. She turned to Troy. "Can I ride with you?"

"Sure." They walked to the car parked in front of Chad's, getting in and starting the engine.

Sharpay and Chad glanced at each other. "Are they... over each other?"

Chad nodded slowly. "I never thought I'd say it, but I think they are."

* * *

**AN:** I'm not really a fan of this chapter... it's kind of significant but I'm not really feeling the way I wrote it, and it's kind of short. And the side-plot is weak. But YOUKNOW I'll live. I like the next chapter a bit, even if it's very unimportant and could probably have been taken out.

**UP NEXT:**

During a sleepover at Sharpay's house, Gabriella overhears something interesting.


	25. All I Do Is Dream Of You

**AN:** Thanks, as per usual, those of you who reviewed. You're the greatest.

The chapter title is from the musical _Singin' in the Rain_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_All I Do Is Dream Of You_

"Troy. Is your grandmother _ever_ going to move out?" Chad asked in a disgruntled tone one Saturday night.

Troy scowled. "No. Turns out Morris wants to live here to get to know his step-family for a while."

"... is that a joke?"

"I wish." He sighed. "It's not like we ever see him. They didn't take a honeymoon, you see, so..."

"Ew."

"SLUMBER PARTY TONIGHT!" exclaimed Sharpay suddenly. "I'm so excited!"

Gabriella and Taylor exchanged annoyed looks. "Sharpay, we've had sleepovers before."

"Yeah, but today is going to be different."

"Why?"

"Because I'm gonna give you spa treatments. Gabriella, when you were on the birth control, you kinda broke out a lot. I know you haven't used it in a while, but, well," she laughed condescendingly, "it's still there. And you, Taylor, have always had a skin problem."

The two girls glared at their blonde friend. "You're not so perfect either, Sharpay," Taylor shot back. "I see a zit on your forehead."

Sharpay clapped a hand to her forehead. "I get the occasional blemish! Whereas you always have acne."

Taylor looked like she wanted to beat Sharpay up, so Gabriella cut in and asked Troy, Chad, and Ryan, who were also in the den, "What are you guys gonna do tonight?"

"Celebrate that you girls are gone," said Chad. He gasped unexpectedly and looked around at all his friends. "Oh, my God. I just realized... we're like a married couple."

"... what?"

"Think about it!" said Chad. "We're always together, and the girls tell us what to do. And when they leave, we get drunk and enjoy the time without them. That's what married couples do. Or at least, what my dad does when my mom goes out."

There was a slight pause. "He's right," breathed Sharpay. "We are like a really deformed, polygamist married couple."

"Polygamy is when one person has multiple spouses," Gabriella corrected her.

Sharpay narrowed her eyes at her. "Well, this is a different form of polygamy, then." She smiled pleasantly at the boys. "Well, bye husbands! Your wives will be back in the morning."

She dragged Gabriella and Taylor after her, talking a mile a minute about all the fun they were going to have that night.

A few minutes after they left, Troy asked, "Hey, where are Zeke and Jason?"

"Zeke is probably with some girl," said Chad. "And Jason... I don't know. He went to the bathroom during lunch today and never came back."

As if their words summoned them, the door opened, and Jason and Zeke walked in. The two sat down and Jason asked, "What are we watching?"

"Jason, where'd you go today?" asked Ryan.

Jason scowled. "I got suspended."

"No way. Why?" asked Chad.

"Indecent exposure."

"I didn't know you knew what such words meant," said Troy. "But what'd you do? Streak?"

Jason looked pissed. "I peed in a dumpster."

They all blinked at him.

There was a long silence.

"Why the hell did you pee in a dumpster?" asked Chad slowly.

"Well... I really had to go to the bathroom."

"There's a bathroom right outside the fucking cafeteria!" Troy exclaimed.

"I went out the wrong door and ended up outside."

There was another pause.

"We've been going to this school for three and a half years," said Troy, "and you're still getting lost?"

"You know what... shut up," Jason retorted lamely. "But anyway, the principal, of all people, caught me. I'm suspended on Monday."

"Don't you want to know where _I_ was?" asked Zeke loudly.

"Screwing?" asked Chad innocently.

Zeke laughed. "Oh, but it was so much more than that."

"Well, you can either tell us or not, we're not that interested," said Troy.

Zeke frowned. "Fine." He grinned again. "I did it with _two_ girls!"

"Really? I could've sworn you'd done it with more than that by now," said Ryan thoughtfully.

Zeke rolled his eyes. "No, I mean I did it with two girls _at the same time_!"

"_What_!?" all the guys exclaimed in unison.

Smiling triumphantly, Zeke said, "Oh yeah. And it was hot."

"Where did you do it?"

"The school bathroom."

"That _is_ hot," said Jason. "Yeah, I did it in the bathroom before."

Chad gave him a look. "No you haven't."

"Have so!"

"Jason, aren't you a virgin?" said Troy.

Jason turned red. "No!"

"You so are."

"Who would have thought that Ryan wouldn't be a virgin and Jason would?" mused Chad.

"Hey, you know what... shut up."

* * *

"Sharpay, I don't like neon pink."

"So?"

"Well, they're _my_ toenails."

"Oh, Gabriella, you don't know anything about beauty."

"I kinda think I do."

"Well, I say you don't!"

Gabriella sighed but didn't press the matter. She was wearing a too-big East High shirt and a sweats that were rolled up to her knees. She was sitting against Sharpay's bed and the latter was painting her toes, concentrating deeply. Taylor's toes were already painted: neon green.

"You really think this looks good?" asked Taylor apprehensively.

"Of course I do!" Sharpay answered in annoyance. "Bright colors are in right now."

"Bright colors, sure... but _blinding_ colors?"

"Same thing."

Gabriella and Taylor exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. "What color are you painting your toes, Sharpay?"

Sharpay held up a bottle containing very bright blue polish. "This one is my favorite."

"Who's gonna paint them for you?"

Sharpay looked at them like they were crazy. "I'm painting my own! You don't think I'd let _you_ two do it, would you?"

"Sharpay," sighed Taylor. "You sure do insult your friends a lot. Aren't you ever worried that we'll ditch you?"

"No."

"Maybe we will," challenged Gabriella.

Sharpay looked at her disdainfully. "I know you won't." She shook the bottle of pink polish and started to apply a second coat. "Besides, it shows you like someone when you insult them."

Taylor and Gabriella glanced at each other with confused expressions. "What makes you say that?"

The blonde looked at them as if her words were facts. "My mom always criticized me. It was a way of helping me better myself."

"Sharpay," Gabriella began, "do you see us going around insulting each other all the time? I mean, we put up with you doing it because you always do. But we don't make fun of each other all the time."

"Sure you do."

"Maybe a few times as a joke."

Sharpay frowned. "Do we have to talk about this? I don't feel like starring in a Lifetime movie."

"Yeah, we do," said Gabriella. "Why isn't your brother like that?"

"Ryan was always perfect." Sharpay shrugged. "My parents loved Ryan. But I was always the one who had to have better hair, better skin, better teeth. Ryan was the favorite."

"And yet you boss him around," laughed Taylor.

"Because Ryan always felt bad, so he let me control him at school."

"Awww!" said Gabriella and Taylor in unison. "That's so cute... in a really weird, twisted way," Gabriella continued.

"I guess so," mused Sharpay. "I never really thought of it being cute. I thought of it as him owing me."

"Is your mom home?" Taylor asked.

"No."

"She's a bitch."

"Taylor!" gasped Gabriella.

"No offense."

Sharpay laughed. "No, it's true. She did make my life suck when I was younger. I was always unhappy."

"That's so sad," said Gabriella dejectedly.

Sharpay wrinkled her nose. "Please. I hate sap."

"But it's true!" Gabriella said dramatically. "This could so be a movie. Girl's parents are always chiding her, girl's brother feels guilty, girl insults everyone, girl is unhappy."

"Does this story have a happy ending?" Taylor asked skeptically. "It sounds like a downer."

"Of course it does. It becomes happy when girl tries to break up a couple but ends up becoming friends with couple and company. She lives happily ever after!"

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "You forgot that part where girl's boyfriend cheated on her and becomes a man whore. Chad texted me and said he did it with two girls at once. Isn't that gross!?"

"We can leave the cheating out of the screenplay," said Gabriella casually before exclaiming, "_Two girls_!? And _Chad_ texted you?"

Sharpay nodded.

Gabriella smirked. "That's so cute, Chad texted you."

"Why is that cute?" asked Sharpay, nonplussed.

"Yeah, why?" Taylor questioned, equally puzzled.

Gabriella shrugged indifferently. "No reason."

* * *

Later that night, when Sharpay had finally deemed Taylor and Gabriella beautiful enough to meet society's standards (at two a.m.), they'd all gone to sleep. Sharpay didn't want them to sleep on her bed, so Gabriella and Taylor ended up on the floor. But luckily for them, Sharpay's floor was more comfortable than most floors.

Gabriella woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, not knowing why. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, yawning. She was exhausted, yet annoyed that she'd been awoken. She picked up her cell phone that was next to her, but it was off. It hadn't been a text.

She heard a noise and froze, straining her ears in the darkness to try and distinguish the source. It was coming from Sharpay's bed.

"If she has a guy in there..." mumbled Gabriella under her breath as she walked on her knees to the edge of the blonde's bed. Sharpay was, in fact, alone in her bed, but she was talking to herself. Gabriella was quite awake by this point, so she leaned forward interestedly. She'd never heard Sharpay talk in her sleep before.

For a few moments, Gabriella couldn't make out any of her words. It was just a bunch of mumbles and groans. She grew bored and was about to lay back down and attempt to sleep, but then she heard a name she recognized.

"Chad."

Gabriella gasped loudly, and clapped a hand to her mouth. Had she just heard – no. That wasn't possible. She'd clearly been --

"Chad..."

She squealed behind her hand. She _wasn't_ hearing things. Not only did it make her feel better to know that she wasn't going crazy, it also made her wonder: what the fuck?

"Chad," murmured Sharpay again. She turned over and buried her face in her pillow; she seemed to be silenced. Her breathing was normal and it appeared whatever she had been dreaming before had ended.

Gabriella's face was split into a giddy, childish smile. She felt wide awake now and couldn't sleep. Sharpay dreaming about _Chad_? Well, she couldn't say she was entirely surprised...

* * *

"Hello, boys, your first wife is home," announced Gabriella upon entry into Troy's den. She blinked when she saw only Chad was in there. "I mean boy. Where's everyone else?"

"Jason's parents found out about his suspension – long story," he added, in response to Gabriella's questioning look. "Zeke is on a date – or, to be more specific, an orgy. Lila and Morris went out to breakfast with Becca and Jack, and they dragged Troy along. Ryan's at home. Where are the girls?"

"Taylor's sisters are in town, and Sharpay's still sleeping." Gabriella sat down. "She must've had a big night," she said pointedly.

"Weren't you there?" Chad reminded her.

"Yeah, but in... her dreams, she had a big night," she said lamely.

Chad nodded, still looking at Gabriella strangely. "Okay."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, focusing on the television.

Gabriella, at last, said, "Can I ask you a question?"

Chad blinked. "Um, I guess. But I'm not really good at this sensitive stuff..."

"It's okay." Gabriella brought her legs up onto the couch and sat cross-legged, turning to face Chad, who was sitting in the armchair. "What do you think of Sharpay?"

"What?" asked Chad quickly. "What do I think of her? What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly how it sounds," Gabriella said, amused. "I just want to know."

"She's, um, a nice girl," stammered Chad.

Gabriella laughed. "She's nice? No, she's not. We both know that. What do you _really_ think of her?"

Chad narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Is this one of those weird things where girls try to get other people to say bad stuff about their friends just so they can tell them about it?"

"No. I'm not gonna go tell anyone what you tell me," Gabriella told him. "I'm just curious. You and Sharpay seem to argue less lately."

"I guess we've... matured?"

Gabriella looked at him expectantly. "Try again."'

"Is there a certain answer you're looking for!?" exclaimed Chad. "Because you're telling me what I think is wrong."

"Because that's not what you really think."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm not an idiot!"

"How --"

"Chad," she interrupted. "I just want to know. Look, I know that being friends with Sharpay is a touchy subject with you, for some reason, but I don't know why you're getting defensive about it."

"I am not defensive."

"You so are."

"Not!"

She raised an eyebrow, and he scowled.

Gabriella sighed melodramatically. "Okay, fine. It's just, we talked about you last night, and I --"

"Sharpay talked about me?" he interjected.

She smirked knowingly and he blushed.

"I said _we_ talked about you. I could've meant Taylor and I."

"Gabriella --"

"You so like her."

Chad's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "WHAT!?"

"Whoa, calm down."

"Gabriella, I do not like Sharpay. I would never like her. _Never_."

"Okay," Gabriella said unconvincingly.

"I'm serious!"

"I said okay!"

"You don't sound like you believe me."

She eyed him. "If it _really_ isn't true, why do you care so much?"

"I just don't want you to get the wrong idea."

"Why do you care what I think?"

"I don't."

"Sounds like you do."

"You know what, Gabriella... I don't care what you think."

"Good."

"Really."

"I believe you."

"You don't sound like you do."

"Why do you care?"

"... I don't."

"Okay."

"Good."

* * *

**AN:** I'm trying to evenly split my time between the Chad/Sharpay and Troy/Gabriella relationship.

**UP NEXT:**

Valentines Day. One of the girls feels left out.


	26. Where's The Mate For Me?

**AN:** I should really stop updating this story because I still have to write chapter 40... but... oh well.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Show Boat_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Where's The Mate For Me?_

"Don't you just love Valentines Day?" breathed Sharpay dreamily.

It was homeroom on February the fourteenth, and Sharpay, Chad, Jason, Troy, and Gabriella were in their usual spots in Mrs. Buchanan's room.

"Not when I don't have a boyfriend," said Gabriella. She mock-glared at Troy. "Thanks."

"Hey, you're not the only one suffering here," he shot back, feigning irritation. "_I_ don't have a girl to shower with affection and spend my money on. Now I have all this money and nothing to do with it."

"I was so not high maintenance, Troy Bolton," said Gabriella.

"No, but Troy liked to buy you stuff anyway," Sharpay cut in. "It made him feel needed."

"Ha, ha," said Troy dryly. "Well, what about you, Sharpay? I distinctly remember you _always_ having lots of Valentines presents."

Sharpay pouted. "Ever since I started hanging out with all of you, my social status has plummeted."

"Are we that uncool?" asked Jason fearfully.

"No," sighed Sharpay. "But I've lost contact with all my old friends since I spend all my time with you. The guys don't admire me anymore!" she wailed.

"It's not the end of the world," said Chad, annoyed. Sharpay glared at him.

"It is too. No one likes me."

"I'm sure _someone_ likes you," Gabriella assured her. "But even if someone doesn't, that's no reason to get upset over."

Sharpay laughed bitterly. "You're one to talk!"

The bell rang and the five friends filed out of the classroom with the rest of the students. Gabriella and Sharpay walked down the hall to their lockers, which were near each other. "I'm just saying," continued Gabriella, "is that you don't need a guy to pine after you to feel good about yourself."

"Yes I do!" complained Sharpay. "I so do. What good am I to the world if no one likes me?"

"We like you," Gabriella reminded her. "...for some reason."

Sharpay ignored her last statement. The two girls retrieved their books for their next class and began walking to their first period. "Friends don't count."

"Oooh, okay," said Gabriella sarcastically. "So, you could have all the friends in the world but no significant other, and that's worse than having a hundred guys after you and no friends?"

The blonde looked at her like she was insane. "_Yes!_"

Gabriella rolled her eyes and turned to enter her AP Chemistry class, but froze halfway through the doorway. "Whoa."

"What is it?" Sharpay peered over her friend's shoulder, and gasped loudly. On one of the desks sat a bouquet of red and white roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates, secured with a pink bow. "Please tell me that's not your desk."

"Um... it's not my desk?" she said lamely.

Taylor, who had the same first period with Gabriella, appeared at Sharpay's elbow. "What's the hold-up?" She stood on her tip-toes and looked into the classroom. "Whoa!" she repeated Gabriella's words. "Who left you the flowers, Gabriella?"

Sharpay growled in frustration and marched into the classroom, earning startled looks from the other students. She ruffled through Gabriella's gifts and breathed out loudly. "There's no card! This is so unfair, how did _you_ get a secret admirer before me?"

"Don't touch my flowers," snapped Gabriella as she and Taylor approached Sharpay.

Sharpay glared at her for a few seconds. "Fine," she said slowly, "but I'm taking the chocolates!" She grabbed the box and, before the other two girls could stop her, she ran out of the room.

* * *

Sharpay was depressed.

It seemed as if this year, every girl had a boyfriend or an admirer to give her Valentines presents. Except her.

Even Gabriella had a secret admirer! It was so unfair.

Sharpay wasn't hungry by the time lunch rolled around, as she'd eaten all of Gabriella's chocolates in first period Drama. No Valentines gifts mixed in with fifty minutes of Mrs. Buchanan's lame teaching ways were enough to drive anyone to eat a whole box of calories.

As she approached the table that she and her friends usually ate at, she froze in her tracks and her blood ran cold.

Was that... could it be --

_TAYLOR HAD FLOWERS TOO!?_

She did indeed.

Taylor sat there, between Gabriella and Ryan, holding a bouquet of lilies. She was beaming. She better smile, Sharpay though. She's never had anything like this before, after all. Pathetic. Sharpay was reeling.

She walked over to the one empty seat, between Chad and Zeke, and plopped herself down with a loud sigh. Everyone looked her way.

"What's wrong?" asked Gabriella.

The blonde narrowed her eyes. "Taylor. You got something too?"

Taylor nodded, her smile five miles wide. "Yeah!"

"Who's it from?" Sharpay spat.

Taylor blushed slightly. "I, uh, don't know."

"Psh. Figures."

"What figures?"

"Everyone has a secret admirer. I want one too!"

Chad rolled his eyes. "Sharpay, get over it."

"I will not get over it. I'm very upset." She looked around the table. "Come on, can't someone just buy me something? There's five guys here! Okay, well, not Ryan. Four guys. Pleeeease?"

Troy raised an eyebrow. "Sharpay, you're kind of a bitch to us, like, all the time."

She scowled. "I have feelings too!" she cried melodramatically.

"Sharpay, shut up," said Chad irritably. "I thought you were over all that material bullshit."

Everyone was quiet after Chad's outburst, and Sharpay gaped at him. "I --"

Gabriella broke the awkward silence and announced, "Did you see Carrie Johnson? Her boyfriend gave her yellow roses and she freaked out."

"Why?" asked Troy.

"Yellow is the color of friendship."

"Oh." Troy frowned. "I'm glad I know that now. Good thing I always stuck with red when we were dating."

"For the record," said Sharpay loudly, "materialistic things don't matter to me."

They all looked at her strangely. "You've just spent half the day eating thousands of calories and crying about how no one likes you, just because you didn't get a flower on Valentine's Day," Gabriella recapped slowly. "I think materialistic things _do_ matter to you."

"They used to."

"But you got over it in one minute?"

"No," snapped Sharpay. "But I remembered why they shouldn't."

"Care to share?" asked Taylor curiously.

"Let's just say a certain... Christmas present I got," said Sharpay mysteriously.

Gabriella's brow furrowed. A Christmas present? Shapay had bragged, at length, about all the fabulous and expensive Christmas gifts she'd received. She was puzzled at how one of those could've changed her perspective.

But then, as observant as she was, Gabriella noticed Chad avoiding eye contact with, well, everyone. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

Feeling the eyes on him, Chad glanced up and saw Gabriella looking at him. He felt like she could read him and it made him uncomfortable. He glared back at her and she relented finally.

"So... anyway..." said Troy, breaking the strange silence. "I think I saw Principal Matsui leaving flowers in Miss Darbus's office. How weird would _that_ relationship be?"

* * *

During fourth period, Sharpay was a teacher's assistant for Mrs. Buchanan. Since Sharpay had a great dislike for Mrs. Buchanan, she deliberately made her look bad in front of the Drama I students, and, to get her out of the way, Mrs. Buchanan let her do whatever she wanted.

Usually Sharpay went to Gabriella's AP Environmental Science class, where the teacher was really laid back and didn't care if she hung out at the back of the room with her. Most of the other teachers weren't so nice, though. Troy and Jason's Algebra teacher had scolded her in front of the entire class when Sharpay asked if she could sit in for the day, as had Ryan's math teacher. Zeke's Physics teacher let her stay, but didn't let her sit with the other students; instead forced her to grade tests.

That left her with three options for today: Taylor's English class, Gabriella's science, or Chad's Spanish. Gabriella had been studying all the night before for a science test, and those were the only days where her teacher didn't let Sharpay in. Taylor had made Sharpay mad by getting flowers, even though she tried to get over her high-maintenance ways. She sighed. Nonetheless, she didn't want to be around her. So, she strode down the halls of East High to Chad's Spanish class. Sharpay had the same Spanish teacher as Chad, albeit in different periods, and that class was by far the easiest one she'd ever taken. It wasn't the subject necessarily that was easy; just that the teacher never taught them anything and let them pretty much do nothing the entire period. They'd all bombed the midterm, but at least they didn't have a boring class.

She walked in the room and was greeted by her teacher. "¡Hola, señorita Evans¿Cómo estás?" At the sound of her name, she saw Chad's head snap up through her peripheral vision.

"Buenas tardes, Señor Lopez. Asi-asi. ¿Y tu?"

"¡Estoy muy bien¿Qué necesitas?"

"¿Puedo permanecer adentro aquí?"

"¿Por qué?"

"Porque... ¿soy aburrida?"

Señor Lopez laughed at her. "You're boring?"

"...no."

"Quieres ver Chad Danforth¿verdad?"

"Sí, por favor."

"Bueno, señorita."

Sharpay turned away from him and rolled her eyes. He always insisted on having conversations with his students in the middle of his lessons; well, whenever he actually had a lesson. He and Troy had once had a long discussion about basketball in Spanish.

She sighed and sat down next to Chad, who had a desk in the back. He smirked at her. "I think Señor Lopez has a crush on you."

She made a face. "Um, ew! He's married! _And_ old."

"So? That didn't stop those construction workers from hitting on you that day at the mall."

Sharpay closed her eyes in horror. "No reminders of that are needed."

Chad, having already finished their Spanish assignment, was working on his Chemistry homework. "Another boring day in the theatre?"

She groaned. "I hate TAing for her. You know, I should've been allowed a schedule change. After all, when I signed up to TA, I thought it was going to be far Miss Darbus."

"Yeah, because Darbus is _so_ much better."

"She is, actually. Compared to that bitch?" Sharpay sighed in irritation. "At least she lets me leave."

She took out her Spanish workbook to get ahead on the homework for that night. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a while as Sharpay conjugated her verbs and Chad balanced formulas.

After a few minutes, though, Chad said abruptly, "Did you mean what you said at lunch?"

"What?" said Sharpay distractedly.

"About materialism."

"Oh." Sharpay stopped writing to look at him. "Yeah. Why would I lie?"

He shrugged. "I was just wondering."

She nodded. "Well, yeah, I meant it. Your present really did mean a lot to me, Chad. It's just... I've grown up thinking that how much stuff you have and how nice it is is how you measure a person. Hell, my parents still think it. But I'm trying to change, Chad. I want you to know that."

He nodded, too, slowly. "Yeah."

They were quiet for a few more minutes, only hearing the loud chatter of students around them. Chad broke the silence again, though, after a few minutes, asking, "Did Gabriella mention anything to you about..." he trailed off.

"About what?"

"Just... never mind."

"Chad, why are you being weird?"

"I'm not being weird," he snapped. She took the cue to not press the matter.

* * *

The day seemed to last forever, but finally it was over and Sharpay was dragging herself to Troy's house. She longed to sit on that dirty old couch in that dusty old room and watch some lame TV show. She was still a little weirded out at how much she'd changed; a year ago, her idea of fun would be skipping school with some shallow girls who were the closest people she had to a friend, to go shopping. And now she had actual friends who she liked to just sit and do nothing with.

Her year-ago self would've committed suicide.

She opened the back door to the den and saw everyone was already in there. Gabriella and Taylor were still cradling their flowers, but Sharpay did her best not to care. She fixed herself in between her brother and Gabriella and asked, "So, what're we watching?"

"I think it's Charmed," said Chad.

"Yeah, it is, there's no guys on the show," Troy added.

"So, Sharpay," smirked Jason, "aren't you mad at Gabriella and Taylor?"

"...why would I be mad at them?"

"Because they got flowers for Valentines Day."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "I thought this matter had been visited and resolved."

"Jason just wants to see a girl fight," Zeke told her.

Jason glared. "Well, not everyone is able to do it with two girls at once!"

Zeke checked the time on his phone. "That reminds me, I'm late." He hopped up and strode toward the door.

"Don't forget extra condoms!" Chad called after him. "We wouldn't want any whore kids of yours running around!" He received the finger before Zeke closed the door after him.

"But really, Sharpay," said Jason. "You're not mad?"

"No!" she exclaimed. "How many times do I have to say this?"

"Saying is one thing," said Taylor wisely. "But you have to show us."

Sharpay made a face. "What?"

Taylor shook her head. "Never mind." She stood up and grabbed her bag. "I have to go. I have a ton of homework."

"Bye, Taylor," said Gabriella as her dark-haired friend left.

Jason frowned. "It's so unfair that Zeke is getting some and I'm not."

"No, Zeke isn't getting some," said Chad. "He's getting a _lot_."

"Not helping."

"Oh, I'm supposed to be helping?" He shrugged. "Well, Gabriella here is single." Chad clapped his hand on said girl's shoulder. "You could do it with her."

Jason face lit up. "Really?"

Gabriella glared at him. "No!" He looked down dejectedly.

"But you could do it with Sharpay," grinned Gabriella.

Sharpay glowered. "Are you joking?"

"Aw, come on, Sharpay," Gabriella said playfully. "You haven't gotten any since Zeke. You must be pretty horny."

"Not horny enough for Jason."

Jason stood up and looked angrily at them all. "You know what, you guys are really, really rude to me sometimes!"

They all stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"And I don't like it!" he whined.

"You hafta get used to it," said Chad. "We're mean. Where've you been? Are you new?"

Jason pouted. "It's just too much today, on the Day of Love!" He ran out of the room, and the five left behind exchanged stunned glances.

"Um... maybe someone should go after him..." said Ryan unsurely.

"Yeah, let's go," Chad said, and the two boys got up and followed Jason out of the den.

"Has Jason ever broken down like that before?" Gabriella asked Troy.

Troy nodded. "Yeah, once every year or so. He's kind of sensitive sometimes."

"Just a little, it seems," Gabriella said sarcastically. She glanced over at Sharpay, who was frowning and not paying attention to the conversation at hand. "Uh, Sharpay? What's wrong?"

Sharpay looked up and blinked. "What? Oh, uh, nothing. I'm fine."

"You look bothered."

The blonde sighed. "It's just... I mean, I know that I'm trying to be less superficial, but I still wanted someone to give me flowers."

"Sharpay --" began Gabriella exasperatedly.

"Not just anyone," continued Sharpay. "Someone... in particular."

Gabriella's eyes widened in understanding. "Ooh. I know what you mean."

Sharpay turned and glared at her. "No, you don't. You're sitting there with your own flowers and admirers; you don't know how I feel."

Gabriella stood up irritably and glared back. "Sharpay, do you really think I've always been showered with presents on Valentine's Day? Please, the first time I got anything was a year ago. Guys _never_ liked me before I moved here. So you really need to get off your high horse and realize that the whole world doesn't revolve around you." And, clutching her roses, she stomped out of the den.

Sharpay watched her go and sighed. "I'm such a dumbass." She turned to Troy, the only one left in the room. "Do I push people away?"

"...what?" stammered Troy uneasily.

Sharpay crawled to the edge of the couch, right up next to Troy, who was in the armchair. "Am I too mean and conceited?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "I mean, I'm trying not to be. But it just comes out! I can't help it!"

"Um... well... maybe you should try to think about what you're saying before you actually say it?" suggested Troy, still uncomfortable.

"Don't you think I've _tried_ that?" she snapped, and then gasped. She clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh no, I did it again, didn't I?" she said, lowering her hand.

Troy nodded. "Yup."

"Damnit." She took a deep breath. "How about this: sure, Troy, I'll try that."

"Better. Also, before you made a snide remark, try to think about how the person will feel if you say it."

"How about I also --" she started bitchily, but stopped herself. She swallowed. "I'll try that, too."

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Sharpay stood up and picked up her bag. "Thank you, Troy. This talk has been most helpful." She started toward the door but paused with her hand on the doorknob. "Oh, and I think Gabriella liked your presents."

Troy's jaw dropped as he stared at her. "H-how'd you --?"

She gave him a knowing look. "Troy, Troy. You didn't do a good job disguising it. Red and white roses? Not much different from your usual plain red. I'm surprised no one else noticed."

Troy gulped. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

She sighed and shook her head. "No. I promise, I won't tell anyone."

"Especially --"

"Especially Gabriella."

Troy nodded. "Thanks, Sharpay."

"No problem. Thanks, too."

"Anytime."

* * *

**AN:** Were you surprised? I don't think anyone mentioned that they thought Sharpay would be the one left out... and how many of you thought Troy gave Gabriella the flowers? Be honest.

BTW: the Spanish conversation was basically Sharpay asking if she could stay in the classroom. For any native Spanish speakers out there - or even talented second-language speakers - I'm sorry if I messed any of the Spanish up. I've been studying the language for 2 1/2 years but I am hardly confident in my abilities.

**UP NEXT:**

Troy is dejected when Gabriella goes on a date.


	27. If I Can't Love Her

**AN:** Can I just say, that one of the biggest compliments I can get is when someone tells me that they like Chadpay now after reading this story, or that this story makes them like them even more. I LOVE that. I got a bit of negative feedback at first when I said this was a Chadpay, but now I'm getting a lot of positive reviews about them, and I love that. I tried really hard to keep both of them in character while revealing their feelings for one another and, if I do say so myself, I like how I did it.

So, for whatever reason yesterday, I got a lot of reviews. Well... 20ish but that's really good for this story. Hence, I am updating this faster.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Beauty and the Beast_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter:**_ If I Can't Love Her_

Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, and Jason were sitting in Troy's living room, watching an intense golfing match. Gabriella and Taylor sat side-by-side, looking as if their boredom would soon take their lives.

"Do we have to watch this?" asked Gabriella for the hundredth time.

Troy shhed her and she sighed loudly.

"Can we change the channel?" Taylor tried.

Chad and Troy looked at each other and nodded. They pounced on Gabriella and Taylor, sitting on them and keeping their hands clasped over the girls' mouths. The two females tried to yell and started flailing their arms around wildly. Zeke and Jason used this opportunity to seize their arms and hold them down.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," said Troy from his position on Gabriella. She was struggling under his and Zeke's weight, but unfortunately her small stature was no match for the two basketball players. Taylor, on the other hand, was able to channel some miraculous strength in her and throw Chad and Jason off her.

"What the hell?" complained Chad from the ground, rubbing his tailbone.

"You could've asked nicely," Jason added.

Taylor glowered at them. She shoved Troy, hard, in the shoulder, and he too toppled onto the ground. Zeke jumped up of his own accord and scrambled to the other side of the couch.

"You're such a pussy, Zeke," said Troy in disgust, standing up.

"I don't want Taylor to beat me up," Zeke said defensively.

"Taylor did _not_ beat us up," clarified Chad quickly.

"I so did," smirked Taylor. Gabriella stood up and glared at them all.

"That was so unfair. Haven't you heard of the rule that guys can't hit girls?"

"We didn't hit you."

"Bounding and gagging us goes in the same category." Her cell phone rang and, with one last glare at the boys, she walked into the hallway to answer it.

"Hey, you can take phone calls in here!" Chad called after her.

Taylor grabbed the remote and changed the channel.

"What are you doing!?" yelped Troy, darting forward. "We were watching that!"

"No, you weren't. It had already ended," Taylor informed him. "You boys were too busy trying to get lucky with Gabriella and I to notice."

"It almost worked, too," grumbled Troy.

"Wait, you'd rather watch My Super Sweet Sixteen than golf?" said Chad in disgust.

Taylor blushed slightly. "This is my guilty pleasure."

"It's okay, Taylor, I like this show too," said Jason happily. Chad looked at Jason with repulsion etched into his face.

Taylor blinked at Jason. "Um, maybe I'll watch something else." She changed the channel again, this time to TLC. "Oooh, What Not To Wear. I love this show."

"Yeah, Taylor, this show was made for you," said Chad seriously. "You don't know how to dress. It's one of the reasons we broke up."

Taylor threw a pillow at him. "Shut up."

"You're the one that loves the show!" Chad put his hands up in defense.

"Not because I dress bad!"

"Then... why?"

"Well, because... there's always room for improvement."

"Mhm. You dress bad."

Their argument was put to a stop as Gabriella reentered the room, pocketing her cell phone.

"Who was it that was so important that you couldn't talk to them in front of us?" asked Chad innocently.

Gabriella looked flushed. "Um, it was no one."

"No one called you?" repeated Chad sarcastically. "Hey guys, Gabriella's phone rang and she was having a conversation outside, but _no one_ was there!"

She made a face at him. "You're funny, Chad."

"Seriously, who was it?"

"What if I don't want to tell you?

"We'll find out anyway."

"Go ahead." Gabriella folded her arms across her chest.

Chad turned to Taylor. "Shall we?"

Taylor nodded. "We shall."

The two tackled Gabriella to the floor. In a similar fashion as had been seen a few minutes earlier, Taylor sat on Gabriella while Chad removed Gabriella's cell phone from her pocket. "Hey, give that back!" Gabriella attempted to slap the phone from Chad's hands, but was foiled when Jason held her hands down. She then tried to kick Chad, but Zeke sat on her legs. Gabriella managed to kick Zeke off her, smugly claiming, "I have strong legs." But what she didn't count on was for Zeke _and_ Troy to sit on them.

"This is so unfair!" she wailed.

Chad smirked. "You should've just told us."

"I am entitled to some privacy."

"Not when you're friends with us."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. Chad flipped her phone open and looked through her recent calls. "Jacob just called you."

"I know."

"Oooh, so that's who it was?"

"... no."

"Who's Jacob, Gabriella?"

"I'm not telling."

"Gabriella, I think you're forgetting your position," said Taylor.

Gabriella glowered at her friend. "I can't believe you're doing this too."

"You wouldn't tell us!"

"Oh, you so know that I would've told you later!"

"...really?"

Gabriella sighed in irritation.

"No, you can't get up now, Taylor!" cried Chad dramatically. "We've got her right where we want her!"

"Sorry," Taylor said apologetically to the other girl. "This is kinda fun."

"You suck."

"So, Gabriella," said Chad, putting his face up to hers and imitating a police officer interrogating a suspect. "Who's this Jacob and why did he call you?"

Gabriella's eyes were narrowed to slits. "He's in my Calculus class."

"The guy from the New Years Eve party?" said Taylor suddenly.

"Yes."

"Why was he calling you?"

Gabriella paused. "Would you believe me if I told you it was for homework help?"

"No."

"Study group?"

"Try again."

She sighed. "Fine. He asked me out."

Taylor shrieked in happiness. "He did!?" She got off Gabriella and kneeled down on her knees. "Oh, that's so great! You guys would be the _cutest_ couple!"

Gabriella's eyes flickered to Troy. "Yeah, I guess."

"Are you gonna go out with him?"

"Yeah... tonight. Speaking of, what time is it?"

Chad checked Gabriella's phone. "Four."

"I have to get ready. Taylor, could you-- "

"Of course."

Taylor stood up and pushed Troy and Zeke off Gabriella's legs, and kicked Jason in the arm. He hissed in pain and jerked his arm back. "Stop doing that!"

Taylor helped Gabriella up, and she brushed her clothes clean.

"Can I have my phone back?"

Chad eyed Taylor wearily. "Well, I'm not keen on getting my ass kicked by Taylor, so..." He handed Gabriella her phone.

"Taylor, come with me for a minute," said Gabriella, and she led Taylor out into the hallway. "Should I go out with him?" she asked quickly.

"Who? Jacob?"

Gabriella nodded.

"Yes! Why not? He's cute!"

She frowned. "I'm just... not sure."

"Why?"

"Because of... well, because of Troy."

Taylor was so surprised that she laughed. "Why? I thought you guys were over each other."

"Well, we are," said Gabriella hastily. "But, you don't think it's too soon... do you?"

Taylor shook her head. "No. You guys broke up two months ago."

"Yeah... I guess."

Opening the front door, Taylor said, "So, go! Get ready for your date and don't think about Troy. You guys are over each other."

Gabriella nodded. "Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Taylor." She walked out the house and shut the door behind her.

Taylor strode back into the living room, where the boys had all returned to sitting on the furniture. Troy was sitting with a stony face, and the rest of the guys looked ready to burst.

"What's going on?" said Taylor slowly, unsure if she even wanted to know.

"Troy's jealous!" said Chad giddily.

Taylor sighed.

* * *

Gabriella sat awkwardly at the booth in Chili's, across from Jacob. The two had been there for ten minutes, and talking for only one.

Tapping her foot on the ground, Gabriella said, "So... math is pretty hard."

Jacob nodded. "Mhm."

Another silence.

"The weather has been nice lately," she tried again.

"Yeah."

Pause.

"Um... so, did you hear that Principal Matsui and Miss Darbus might be dating?"

* * *

"I can't believe you're jealous."

It was an hour later. The group of five had been joined by Ryan and Sharpay, and they were all, predictably, making a big deal about Troy's feelings.

"You guys had been getting along so well lately!" said Sharpay. "We thought you were over each other. You _said_ you were over each other!"

"Well, I thought I was," growled Troy for the hundredth time.

"What changed?" Sharpay inquired nosily.

Troy rolled his eyes. "I'd rather really not --"

"We don't care."

"Remember what happened when Gabriella didn't want to do something?" Chad reminded him.

Troy stared angrily at them, but relented. "I thought I was over her because she wasn't dating anybody. But now that she is, it feels like New Years all over again. I want to just grab the nearest girl and start making out with her." He side glanced at Sharpay, who was right next to him. "Well, maybe not the nearest."

"You guys have it bad for each other," said Taylor. "I don't get why you're broken up."

"Gabriella wanted to," Troy said miserably.

"I think she still likes you too," Taylor told him. "She didn't want to go out with this Jacob kid because she was worried about you."

Troy looked at her eagerly. "Really?"

"I think Gabriella would be pissed if she knew we were talking about this," said Sharpay.

"Since when do you care about stuff like this?" Chad asked her.

"Since I'm trying to be nicer to my friends." She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're not making it any easier. But _anyway_," she continued impatiently, "I think this is just what I like to call Post-Breakup Disorder."

"It's a disorder?" said Taylor skeptically.

"Yes. An unfortunate one," Sharpay continued. "I went through it with Zeke. Remember how much I hated Baylee?"

"Well, yeah..." said Troy, "but Zeke cheated on you with Baylee."

Sharpay glared at him. "So?"

"I just mean, it's natural for you to not like Baylee because she ruined your relationship. But Jacob didn't do anything wrong."

"I don't get it, whose side are you on?" Sharpay questioned. "Jacob's or your own?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm on my own side," said Troy sarcastically.

"So why are you sticking up for him?"

"I'm not sticking up for him," Troy said. "I'm just trying to tell you that I don't have Post-Breakup Disorder."

"Most people hate their exes first boyfriend or girlfriend after they breakup," Sharpay told him. "Trust me. It's normal."

Troy sighed deeply. "I guess."

* * *

Jacob and Gabriella stood on her doorstep after dinner, shuffling their feet awkwardly.

"So... this was fun," said Gabriella.

"Yeah. Fun."

She cleared her throat. "We'll have to do it again sometime."

"Yeah. Totally."

Well, for a guy in AP Calculus, he sure had a small vocabulary, Gabriella thought to herself.

He leaned in to kiss her and, without meaning to, she turned her head so his lips grazed her cheek. She smiled up at him. "Thanks again," she said cheerfully, before quickly unlocking the front door to her house and slipping inside.

She leaned against the door after she closed it and slid down to the floor.

* * *

An hour later, after changing into more comfortable clothes, Gabriella stumbled into Troy's den, feeling exhausted. Her date had drained her.

All seven of her friends were already there, and they all looked up expectantly when she entered.

"So!?" demanded Sharpay anxiously. "How was it?"

"It was --" began Gabriella, but paused. "Wait. How'd you know I had a date?"

"News travels fast," said Taylor.

"Who cares how I know," Sharpay said fretfully. "_How was it_?" she repeated.

Gabriella sat down on the couch next to Sharpay. "Horrible."

She didn't notice the looks that were shot to Troy. "Why?" Ryan inquired.

"We had absolutely nothing to say," she explained. "He wasn't much of a talker. _I_ was the one initiating most of the conversations. _Me_!"

"You guys talked a lot on New Years Eve," Jason said.

Gabriella blushed. She'd thought about that, too, and she knew that the only reason they'd been able to hold a conversation earlier was because she was trying to make Troy jealous. "I think he was drunk then."

Sharpay nodded understandably. "Yeah, people tend to talk a lot when they're drunk."

"Anyway, it really sucked. The worst date ever."

"Have you even been on many dates?"

"Well... no. But they've all been better than this one."

"_All_ of them, you hear that, Troy?" said Chad pointedly. "_All_ of them."

Gabriella blinked at them all in confusion. "Yes, that's what I said. Thanks for repeating it twice, though. I'm sure Troy benefitted from that."

"Just wanted to make sure he got the message," nodded Chad.

"So... what did you guys talk about?" Troy asked casually.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "The weather. School. And... the weather some more. It was all very one-sided."

"So are you gonna go out with him again?" Taylor asked.

"What's with the twenty questions?" Gabriella inquired, annoyed.

"We're very nosy people," Zeke told her.

"Clearly. Well, I don't know yet. If he calls me, maybe. But if I go out with him again and its disastrous, _again_, then I'll be pissed."

"Maybe he's just shy," Taylor said sympathetically. "You'd be pissed because he's shy?"

"No, _I'm_ shy," corrected Gabriella. "He was just boring."

* * *

**AN:** I'm really not a fan of this chapter... it was needed, but boring, and I'm not all that proud of it. Just some pointless humor and more character development. BOOOR-ING.

However... I love the next chapter. If I get a lot of reviews again, I'll update quick. Again.

**UP NEXT**:

Chad and Sharpay clash, in a big way.


	28. Kiss The Girl

**AN:** Well, I don't know what it is, but the reviews have suddenly JUMPED. Of course, I'm not complaining. Keep 'em coming!

This is the first time I've updated something twice in one day (unless you count _Kiss_... which I don't). Maybe if I get a lot of reviews again, I'll update tomorrow afternoon? HINT HINT WINK WINK.

The chapter title comes from the musical _The Little Mermaid_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter:**_ Kiss The Girl_

"We're actually at a school event," mused Taylor.

Gabriella nodded. "I know. Weird, right?"

The eight friends were, indeed, attending a school-sponsored event. They were at the East High baseball stadiums to support Chad, Zeke, and Jason as they played in the students vs. staff charity baseball game. Normally, if one of them was participating in something, the rest would just stay home, usually at Troy's, and be bored. But it seemed to hit them that it was the end of February and they had only three months left as high school students. And while they couldn't wait for high school to end, they figured they could at least try and get involved a little bit more before graduation came.

And that's how Taylor, Sharpay, Gabriella, Ryan, and Troy wound up in the bleachers.

"Yeah, go Chad!" cheered Sharpay loudly, standing up.

"That's not Chad," Gabriella muttered to her.

Sharpay frowned. "Oh." She sat back down in embarrassment.

The boy at bat struck out, and another guy went up.

"_That's_ Chad," said Troy.

Sharpay pouted. "How can you tell? They all look the same under those helmets."

"Because the back of his uniform says Danforth."

"... shut up." Without giving them another opportunity to take a jab at her, she stood up and yelled, again, "Go Chad!"

"Ryan, Troy, why aren't you guys playing?" Gabriella asked, sipping her coke. Even though it was winter, the New Mexico sun beating down caused them to heat up quickly.

"I'm not a big fan of strenuous activity," said Ryan lazily.

Taylor raised an eyebrow at him. "Didn't you play in the Lava Springs staff game over the summer?"

"That's when I realized I'm not a fan of strenuous activity."

"Dancing isn't one?"

"Dancing is easy."

"So basically, you don't like things that you aren't good at?"

"...well, when you put it that way..."

"What about you, Troy?" Gabriella interrupted.

"I hate baseball."

"Jason does too," she reminded him. "And he's being a man and playing anyway."

Troy looked at her strangely. "What's being a man about it? Playing in a sport you hate for no reason?"

Gabriella stared at him thoughtfully. "You're right. Jason's stupid." She frowned. "He made me believe it was manly."

"I think you're a little stupid too, then. No offense."

"Well, I probably deserve that for believing him."

Chad swung the bat and hit the ball, and Sharpay jumped up. "Whoooo, Chad! Home run!"

"Sharpay, it's a foul ball."

"What's that?"

"It doesn't count."

"Damnit!" She sat back down, annoyed. "I hate baseball."

"It's really not that confusing," Gabriella said. "I hate sports, and I get it."

"Yeah, what's not to get?" Taylor asked her.

"Shut up," said Sharpay again.

Chad hit the ball again, so hard that it soared over the fence in the outfield, and everyone in the crowd leapt up in an uproar of yells.

"Why are you cheering?" Sharpay yelled over the noise. "He hit it over the fence!"

"That's good!" Gabriella shouted back.

Sharpay looked so baffled that Gabriella laughed at her expression. The cheers didn't die down until Chad had run around the entire diamond, scoring three points for the students team. "Go Chad!" said Sharpay again, although she was still muddled.

They sat back down and Gabriella explained, "When you hit the ball over the fence, that's an automatic home run."

"Why? I thought it was bad, because now they have to go get the ball."

"They have extras, Sharpay."

The blonde closed her eyes in humiliation. "Why am I being such an ass today?"

"Maybe your mind is focused on _something else_," said Gabriella emphatically.

Sharpay looked at her in bewilderment. "What do you mean?"

Gabriella glanced obviously over at the student dugout before looking back at Sharpay and saying, "_Something else_."

"Gabriella, what are you doing?" asked Taylor in aggravation. Sharpay blinked, still lost.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Never mind."

The game continued, quite uneventfully, for the next few minutes until, at the start of the sixth inning, Chad and Jason appeared in front of them.

"Hi," greeted Gabriella. Jason took a seat next to her while Chad sat by Sharpay.

"Were you watching?" Chad asked her.

Before Sharpay could respond, Gabriella said, "Didn't you hear her? First she cheered for a guy that wasn't you, then she cheered for your foul ball, and then she didn't understand why everyone else was cheering for your home run."

Sharpay scowled. "Just because I don't know baseball and because I'm trying to be a nicer person doesn't mean you can make fun of me. I could sooo be a bitch again, really easily." She turned away to face Chad. "And yes, I was watching."

Gabriella turned to glare at Jason. "Oh yeah. And you are so not manly."

Jason blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"It's not masculine to play a sport you hate. It's stupid!"

"What? No it's not!" exclaimed Jason. "It's hot. Remember?"

Gabriella wrinkled her nose. "No it's not."

"Jason, are you trying to hit on my ex?" said Troy menacingly.

Jason's eyes widened. "No! No, Troy, I swear!"

"It sure sounds like you are," Gabriella said, playing along. "I'm kind of uncomfortable with it."

Troy sighed, exasperated. "Jason, do I have to beat you up?"

"Are you guys messing with me?" Jason asked suspiciously.

"I guess he's not as stupid as you think," Taylor snickered.

"Hey, Sharpay, are you gonna go to the after-party?" Chad asked casually.

"There's an after-party?"

"There's an after-party for _everything_."

"Even after-parties?"

"Of course. The parties never end."

"Well, I'm glad I know this now. But I don't think I'm going. I'll probably just go to Troy's house. Are you going?"

"Nah, probably not."

Jason opened his mouth in indignation. "What!? You said you would go with me and try to find a girl for me to lose my virginity too!" A few spectators near them sent him nasty looks.

"I said that?" said Chad lamely. "Oh. Well... I changed my mind. Besides, I don't think I could find anybody for you to do it with."

"Come on!" begged Jason. "Maybe a freshman? An eighth-grader would do!"

Gabriella looked at him in disgust. "That's really pathetic."

"Well, I'm really desperate," retorted Jason.

"Sorry Jason. I'm not going."

"But you said!" Jason whined.

Chad caught Gabriella's eye, who was smirking. He quickly looked away and snapped, "Stop being a baby. Zeke is still going."

Jason raised his eyes heavenward. "Zeke is no help. He'll ditch me after five minutes to fuck a bunch of girls." The same spectators got up and moved to the other side of the bleachers.

"That's true, he probably will," mused Taylor, nodding in agreement.

"I wonder if Zeke will ever get tired of just having sex," Gabriella said, "and have an actual relationship."

"I would always have sex if I could," said Jason quickly.

"Yeah, but you've never done it," Gabriella reminded him, and he frowned sadly. "Once you have it a few times, you realize it's not all it's cracked up to be."

"Yes it is!" Troy cut in.

"Are you kidding, Gabriella?" said Chad in disbelief.

"Um... no," she said uncertainly.

"There's nothing wrong with sex."

"I never said there was anything wrong with it," Gabriella said. "Just that there's more to life than it."

"Well, I don't know why Zeke would give up doing every girl in the school to have a whiny girlfriend who only likes to do it when she's 'in the mood,'" said Chad, with air-quotes.

Sharpay looked at him. "Are you saying you wouldn't want a relationship?"

"No. But Zeke is a man whore, and man whores don't settle down."

"So you _would_ want a relationship?"

Chad looked flustered. "I – what?"

"Do you want a relationship?"

Gabriella watched them interestedly.

"I – I don't know," stammered Chad. "Um, no? I don't know! What's with the third degree?"

Sharpay's face fell. "Nothing."

Chad looked lost for words and was ripped from his thoughts by Jason hitting him in the shoulder. "Come on, bailer. We have to go."

Chad looked at him strangely. "Did you call me 'bailer?'"

"Yeah. For bailing on me."

Jason led him to the dugout, his arms folded over his chest, while Chad said irritably, "Oh, get over it. You're such a girl."

Gabriella poked Sharpay's arm. "Are you okay?"

Sharpay glared at her. "_Yes_! Why wouldn't I be fine?"

Gabriella raised her eyebrows. "You know, you're bitch when you're upset."

"I'm not upset."

"You are too."

"No, I'm not!"

Sharpay, with finality, stood up and marched down the stairs of the bleachers, heading straight for the dugout. Gabriella bit her lip nervously and watched her go.

The blonde marched over to the chain-link fence that served as a barrier between the stands and the dugout. She leaned against it, slipping her fingers through the fence, and said, "Hey, Adam."

Said boy, who was sitting with his back to Sharpay, turned around and grinned at her. "Hi, Sharpay." Chad, who was sitting two spots down from Adam, looked up at the sound of her name.

"I just wanted to say good luck," Sharpay said, giggling flirtatiously. She leaned her knee into the fence.

"Thanks," said Adam, grinning. "You'll be watching me?"

"Oh yeah," said Sharpay. "I'll be watching your _every_ _move_."

Adam guffawed, and Sharpay internally winced.

"Hey, did you see that catch I made in right field during the second inning? That was hit by Coach Bolton," he bragged.

Sharpay blanched slightly. "Yeah, I did," she lied. "That was hot."

Adam smirked. "Yeah, it was, wasn't it?"

Sharpay remembered liking this guy as a sophomore. And all she could think now was, _what was wrong with me!?_

"Adam, you're up," the student coach said.

Adam stood up and simpered at Sharpay. "Will you be watching?" he said huskily, and Sharpay half-wished Gabriella was there so they could laugh at the atrocity of the situation.

"Of course." She smiled at him as he walked out, putting on his batter's helmet. Sharpay spared one gaze at Chad, who was staring at her, before stalking back to the stands.

* * *

Later that afternoon, after the game, Gabriella, Taylor, Troy, Ryan, and Chad were in Troy's den, sitting in silence. They'd tried to put on the TV, but Chad had yelled at them. They'd tried to put on music, but Chad had shouted. They'd tried to play pool, but Chad had snapped.

"Why are you being so bitchy?" asked Troy. "Are you PMSing?"

Chad glared. "Yeah. I'm PMSing," he spat sarcastically.

"Where's Sharpay?" asked Taylor suddenly.

"Get off my case!" snarled Chad.

The four of them exchanged baffled looks.

"Hey... do you guys want to go to the movies?" Troy asked.

"Yes!" Taylor, Gabriella, and Ryan responded immediately.

"So, uh... let's go."

The four of them practically sprinted to the door, with Taylor mumbling to Gabriella, "What's his problem?"

"Sharpay," she whispered back.

Taylor looked shocked as she shut the door behind her.

Chad sat on the couch, seething. Her arms were still crossed angrily, and he sat still for a long time. He wasn't sure how long, only that after a while he got sick of just sitting. He got up and approached the pool table, laying down a few balls and taking a pool stick. He lined up a shot, tongue between his teeth and eyes narrowed, and took it. He jabbed so hard that he poked a hole in the felt.

"Shit," he swore under her breath. He attempted to pat it down but decided that he didn't really care. So he messed up Troy's pool table? He'll live. He hung the stick back up and sat back down in the chair.

The door opened and Chad, for a moment, thought that he'd been in solitude for so long that the movie the other four went to see had ended. But those hopes were dashed when Sharpay entered excitedly. He scowled.

"Oh, my gosh, Chad," she said enthusiastically, rushing toward him. She sat on the couch and smiled widely. "Guess. What."

Chad didn't say anything; he didn't even look at her.

"Okay, I'll just tell you," she said. "I just bought the _cutest_ bag ever! It's white, and leather, and --"

"Does it look like I care?" he asked nastily.

Sharpay raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you?" she asked irritably.

"Nothing's wrong with me except you," he growled, finally glancing at her. "Look, I don't care about your fucking bag. So much for you being over materialistic stuff."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Oh, give me a break. What, you expect me to shop at the Salvation Army and Goodwill now? Just because I don't base my life on expensive items doesn't mean I hate shopping!"

"Oh, no, sure it doesn't," he said sarcastically.

She blinked. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"Nothing is wrong!" he repeated, standing up. "You just piss me off! Look, we're not friends. I don't know why you sit here and talk to me like we are!"

Sharpay stood up slowly too. "We're not?"

"No! I don't know how you ever came to that conclusion!"

"Oh yeah?" Her voice was wavering.

"Yeah! I don't care about you."

"Really?" she said skeptically.

"How many times am I gonna have to tell you this!?"

She glared at him. "I don't believe you," she said in a soft voice.

He wasn't expecting to hear that. He froze and stared at her. "_What_?"

"I said, I don't believe you," she repeated, louder.

"Oh yeah?" Chad challenged, recovering. "Why not?"

"You took me to Homecoming," said Sharpay. "And you gave me that Christmas present. I didn't get a present from Troy. Or Jason. Or Zeke, or even my brother."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"So why'd you do it?"

Chad gaped. Sharpay thought for a split-second that she'd backed him into a corner, but he surprised her. "I pitied you, okay? I felt pity for you."

Her mouth opened slightly. "What?"

"I felt bad for you. I always have, Sharpay. I have always pitied you."

She shook her head. "I don't believe you."

"Well, believe it!" he exploded. "I took you to Homecoming because you were crying all over me! It was the most pathetic sight I had ever seen, a girl crying that much because she didn't have a date to a stupid high school dance. And Zeke had just cheated on you. You were a fucking mess."

Sharpay swallowed. She felt salty tears climbing up her throat but she breathed in. She wouldn't let him get the better of her. "Then what about Christmas?"

Chad blinked. "What?"

"Why get me that present? I wasn't depressed then. Why'd you do it?"

"It's not like it cost anything."

She laughed bitterly. "Wasn't that the point?"

"Oh, yeah, because everything is about you," he said angrily. "I got you something hoping to change how you think," he sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

She looked at him thoughtfully. "So, why _did_ you do it?" she asked again.

"I told you. Pity."

"But even if you pity me, _why_? Just tell me why."

Chad seemed at a loss for words, and it caused a smile to creep onto Sharpay's features.

"You care about me."

"No, I don't," said Chad viciously.

"Chad, it's not a bad thing," she told him. "You can say it."

"I don't care about you!"

"I don't believe you!"

Chad glared at her, and she glared back. They were having a staring contest; both of them refused to avert their gazes before the other.

And the next thing she knew, Chad had strode toward her, stopping only when his face was inches away from her own. She kept her eyes narrowed, not letting them stray from his. He grabbed her face in his hands and smashed his lips, hard, against hers. She was taken aback, but not too surprised to let herself stand idly by. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed back just as forcefully, opening her mouth and allowing his tongue access. Their tongues had a fierce battle of control as Chad snaked his arms around her waist and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and the two fell onto the couch.

* * *

**AN:** lawlz do u h8 meh 4 da cliffie.

Juuuuuust kidding. Reviews?

**UP NEXT:**

Chad and Sharpay's "relationship" is far from perfect.


	29. I Wish I Could Forget You

**AN:** Hey everybody. LOVE YOUR REVIEWS, seriously. Also, there is going to be a lack of Troyella for the next few chapters. Sorry. But there will seriously be, like, 120938820 SECRETZ revealed. So... plenty of drama that doesn't pertain to TG. I think you guys will be happy with it. And besides, this is a story about eight friends, not one couple, and I've focussed a little too much, I think, on TG the last, oh, I don't know, ten chapters. Sorry if you don't like it, but focus has been shifted. However, I know you all will be happy with the end result.

I'm ALMOST done with chapter 40. I just can't figure out how to end it... blah.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Passion_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter:**_ I Wish I Could Forget You_

"Gabriella, sit _here_." Gabriella's arm was grabbed and yanked down, pulling her into the desk next to Sharpay. It was the following day, during Homeroom.

"Um, what --"

"I need help in math."

"Okay..." said Gabriella unsurely. Troy, in front of her, looked at her questioningly, and she shrugged. Sharpay always sat behind Gabriella, with Chad next to her.

"So Chad, what'd you do last night after we left?" Troy asked his friend, who was next to him.

Sharpay started coughing violently.

"Um, are you okay?" asked Gabriella, concerned, as she patted the other girl softly on the back. Sharpay nodded, staring at her math homework.

"Yes. Help me. Now."

"Okay, Jesus."

Gabriella leaned over to assist her while Troy pressed, "So? What'd you do?"

"Oh. I, uh..." he stammered. "I played some pool and dented the table."

There was a pause. "You _what_!? My dad's gonna kill me!"

"Sorry, man. I wasn't thinking."

"Well, whatever. My dad hates coming into the den anyway, so he probably won't notice."

"How was the movie you guys saw?"

"Horrible."

"Sounds fun."

"What did you do last night, Sharpay?" Gabriella asked. "I didn't see you at all after the game."

Sharpay coughed again. "I, uh... well, I went shopping. And then I, um... tried to do my homework."

"Oh. You should've come to the movies with us."

"Well, sorry, Gabriella, but not everyone does their homework after school on Friday or is as smart as you," snapped Sharpay suddenly.

Gabriella blinked. "I – I didn't mean it like that."

Sharpay ignored her and started working out a math problem. Troy raised an eyebrow at Gabriella again.

"So..." Gabriella tried again to rid the room of all the tension. "Are you going to go out with Adam?"

Chad broke his pencil, and Sharpay looked at him for the first time that entire morning. She stared at the back of his head for a few seconds, before standing up and stomping out of the room. "Bathroom," she grunted to Mrs. Buchanan and stormed out without waiting for a response.

"What's _her_ problem?" asked Jason loudly.

Gabriella didn't say anything but stood up too. She told Mrs. Buchanan that she was going to use the bathroom as well, and walked through the empty hallways to the nearest girls' room. Predictably, she found Sharpay inside it.

"Hi."

Sharpay glanced up at her. "Hey." She was standing at a sink, hunched forward with her hands gripping the sides. Gabriella advanced toward Sharpay and leaned back on the sink next to her, her arms folded.

"So."

Sharpay's head snapped up. "So what?"

"Something's up your ass, and I wanna know what."

"Oh yeah?" Sharpay challenged.

"Yeah. You're being a bitch again, first of all. And you and Chad are avoiding each other so much it's _painful_."

Sharpay paled at the sound of said boy's name, and Gabriella's expression softened.

"So, what happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"You are such a liar!" said Gabriella malcontentedly. "Look, I know what's been going on between you and Chad. I _know_ that you have a thing for him, and I _know_ that he has a thing for you."

"You're crazy."

Gabriella stood up straight. "Am I? A couple weeks ago, you said Chad's name in your sleep, multiple times. And I've known that Chad likes you, since... God, I don't even know when. I think while you and Zeke were dating."

Sharpay shook her head. "No. You don't get it. And I mean you _really_ don't get," said Sharpay, and her voice cracked.

"I know something happened last night," said Gabriella softly. "You and Chad are too damn obvious. You pissed off Chad yesterday when you flirted with Adam, and I know you went to Troy's house yesterday. You really think I'd believe that you did _homework_?"

Laughing lightly, Sharpay admitted, "I guess I should've tried to think of a better excuse."

"Yeah, probably," joked Gabriella, and then she turned serious again. "So tell me."

Sharpay swallowed, her lower lip quivering. She leaned against the sink she was standing in front of, and began, somewhat uneasily. "I did it with Chad last night."

Whatever Gabriella had been expecting to hear, it wasn't that. She gasped loudly and shrieked, "_YOU WHAT!?_"

"Shhh!" hissed Sharpay. "You can't tell anyone!"

"OH, MY GOD! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SCREWED CHAD!" Gabriella ranted, and she started to pace. "SHARPAY, HOW --"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Gabriella stopped talking in shock and turned back to Sharpay, who was breathing heavily.

"Just... stop it. Let me explain."

The dark-haired girl grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I got carried away. But... you guys had _sex_!?"

Sharpay nodded miserably. "God, yes."

"Well... how was it?" inquired Gabriella curiously.

Sharpay blinked. "I never thought I would live to hear you asking me that question, and even more so that I would be the one to say – is this really the time?"

Gabriella shook her head quickly. "Sorry. You're right. This isn't the time. Go on."

Sighing, Sharpay continued, "Okay. Well, I went to Troy's house yesterday. I was excited because I got a new purse and I really wanted to tell someone about it. I swear, I totally forgot about what happened at the game, but even if I hadn't, I didn't think Chad would be so pissed. I was just messing around. But anyway, we got into a huge fight."

Gabriella frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah. It was... pretty bad. He said some awful things." She took a shaking breath. "But I didn't believe him. At least, I wouldn't let him think I did. I kept challenging him and contradicting what he was saying... and the next thing I knew we were making out on the couch. It all just kinda went off from there."

"You guys did it on his couch?" said Gabriella, slightly disgusted.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll clean it later. But please, focus."

"Yeah, sorry." Gabriella thought for a moment. "What was he saying to you?"

"That I was a bitch. And, well, I didn't really care so much about _that_. But then he said that he only took me to Homecoming because I was worthless --"

"He said that!?"

"Well, he actually said pathetic. But it's the same thing. And then he said that he pitied me and that was the only reason he talked to me."

"Oh, Sharpay --" began Gabriella, but Sharpay talked over her.

"But I didn't believe him at all. After that Christmas present he gave me, no way did he pity me. So I told him that. And then he kissed me."

Gabriella still had no idea what this mysterious Christmas present was, but she had already asked enough insensitive questions for one day. She rubbed Sharpay's arm comfortingly, and said cautiously, "Um... is there more to this story? Because, to be honest, I don't see why you guys are avoiding each other. Was it bad like my first time with Troy was?"

"No. It was... it was amazing, actually." Sharpay sighed. She gulped.

"Then... what's wrong?"

Sharpay didn't say anything for a long time. She was staring at the wall, but Gabriella could still see the tears filling up in her eyes like they were coming from a faucet. She patiently waited.

At long last, Sharpay said, "The first thing he said to me when it was over was... 'this didn't mean anything, right?'"

Gabriella breathed in sharply. "No."

Sharpay nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh, no, Sharpay. But I know he likes you back!"

"I don't like him."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Give it up, Sharpay! Why are you still denying it?" she cried frustratingly. "You're sitting in here, practically crying about Chad not liking you and him saying that your sex didn't mean anything. And yesterday, when Chad said he didn't want to have a relationship, you blatantly flirted with Adam just to make him jealous. Do you really expect me to believe that you don't like him?"

"Look, it's just meaningless sex," said Sharpay desperately. "Really."

"Meaningless, huh?"

"Yeah, meaningless," Sharpay sneered bitchily. "Just because _you've_ never had it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"You've never had it either."

"Did you not listen to my story?"

"Your story is what proves it was anything _but_ meaningless." Gabriella gripped Sharpay's shoulders tightly. "It's okay to like a guy, Sharpay. Chad isn't going to hurt you."

Sharpay glared at her. "He already did, Gabriella."

* * *

"I totally did it with Kristy last night," cried Zeke gleefully during lunch. Troy, Jason, Chad, and Ryan all rolled their eyes in unison.

"You're a whore. You know that, right?" Chad said conversationally as he took a bite from his slice of pizza.

"Hey, don't be hatin' 'cause I'm getting some – well, a _lot_, actually – and you're not," smirked Zeke.

Chad looked up and glared so viciously at Zeke that the latter's smile slowly slid off his face and he started to squirm.

"Dude," said Jason, but Chad continued to glower at Zeke.

"What's your problem?" Troy asked.

At Troy's words, Chad finally ceased his glaring and looked around apologetically. "Sorry. I have a stomachache." He tossed his pizza back onto his tray and stared at a burn on the middle of the table, not seeing the perplexed glances shared between the four other boys; nor did he notice Gabriella bustle over to their table and shoot him a glare.

"Troy, I have to talk to you now," she said urgently. Before Troy could respond, Gabriella had grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the lunchroom.

"Wow, Gabriella, I didn't know you were into doing it at school," mused Troy as his ex led him through the hallways of East High. "But I'd be glad --"

"Shut up," exhaled Gabriella. She pushed him up against the lockers, double-checked that no one was within earshot of them, and said, "I just have to tell someone this or else I'm going to BLOW UP."

"Oh, so I'm just your gossip confidante?" he asked dryly.

She nodded. "Exactly." She looked around again nervously. "You have to swear you're not going to tell anyone this."

Troy raised his eyes to the ceiling. "I promise I won't spread your bathroom-wall gossip."

Gabriella lowered her voice dramatically. "Last night... Chad and Sharpay slept together."

Pause. "CHAD AND SHARPAY --" yelled Troy so loudly that his words echoed off the walls of the school.

"SHHH!" Gabriella whispered furiously, clapping a hand over his mouth and glancing around again. "Remember, don't say anything, okay?"

He nodded in conformation.

* * *

"Hey, guess what?" Troy asked in a low voice to Jason during fourth period Algebra.

"What?" murmured Jason out of the corner of his mouth.

"Chad and Sharpay fucked last night."

"THEY WHAT?!" Jason shouted and started so violently that he and his desk tipped over and crashed to the ground.

"Don't tell anyone," added Troy quickly before their teacher started screaming at them.

* * *

"Hey, guess what?" said Jason as he and Zeke pushed their way through the crowded school on the way to sixth period. "Chad and Sharpay screwed last night. But you can't tell anyone."

* * *

"Ryan!" called Zeke in the parking lot after school. He jogged over to his blonde friend. "Guess who your sister did last night?"

"Oh, God, Zeke," Ryan groaned. "You know, I really try to stay out of Sharpay's sex life."

"Chad," supplied Zeke, ignoring Ryan.

The latter's mouth dropped open.

"Oh, but don't tell anyone."

* * *

"Have you heard, Taylor?" asked Ryan melodramatically as the two of them walked through Troy's side yard to the back of his house.

"Heard what?"

"Come on, don't girls tell each other every piece of gossip?"

Taylor stared at him. "Do you have something to tell me or what?"

"Sharpay and Chad had sex last night."

"WHAT!?" Taylor screamed in shock.

Ryan said hastily, "Don't tell anyone."

Taylor let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, okay," she said sarcastically.

She burst open the door of Troy's den, with Ryan at her heels, and spied Sharpay, Troy, Zeke, and Jason watching Family Guy.

"You did it with Chad!?" she accused.

Sharpay jumped up in horror. "Gabriella told you!?"

Taylor blinked. "No. Ryan told me."

Sharpay rounded on him. "So Gabriella told you?"

"Zeke told me."

By this point, Sharpay was confused and flushed. "Who told you?"

"Jason."

"And you?"

"Troy."

"Gabriella," offered Troy, before Sharpay even asked.

Sharpay yelled in frustration, stomping her feet. "This wasn't supposed to happen. That bitch wasn't supposed to tell _anyone_!" She looked around wildly. "Where is that whore? I'm gonna fuck her up."

"She went on a walk with Chad."

Sharpay froze, the color draining from her face rapidly. "Sh-she what?"

"Yeah." Troy nodded. "She got here a couple minutes after us and asked to talk to Chad. Then you got here."

"What's wrong with Gabriella talking to Chad?" asked Taylor suspiciously.

Sharpay blanched. "Nothing." She sat down and pretended to be interested in the cartoon they were watching, but none of them were fooled.

"You like Cha-ad," sang Zeke.

"I do not," snapped Sharpay.

"Oooh, defensive," Troy teased.

Sharpay gave him the evil eye. "I am not defensive, jackass."

"Very testy though," said Zeke knowledgeably.

"Sharpay, do you like Chad?" Taylor asked gently.

Everyone stopped talking to look at Sharpay, who tried to ignore them. However, even she couldn't pretend that the tears in her eyes were fake, so she wiped them away angrily and looked away from the other occupants in the room. "This wasn't supposed to happen, you know," she said again.

Taylor sat down on the arm of Sharpay's chair and put her hand on her shoulder. "It's okay."

"No, it's not okay!" exclaimed Sharpay suddenly, jumping up again. "None of this is okay, because it means something to me, and not Chad."

"Are you actually admitting it?" asked Troy excitedly. "Gabriella will be so happy to know this." Taylor and Sharpay glared venomously at him, and he withered. "Sorry."

"Sharpay, you don't --" Taylor began, but she was interrupted.

"Don't tell me what I know and don't know!" she cried hysterically. "The first thing he said to me after we did it – _the very first thing_ – was 'this didn't mean anything.'" She choked back a sob, cursing herself for being so weak and weepy about a boy. Everyone in the room remained silent, for once feeling absolutely and completely sympathetic with Sharpay.

Taylor pulled Sharpay into a hug and let the blonde cry quietly into her shoulder while the boys looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Well, if it doesn't work out with Chad, you can always talk to Lila," Jason told her.

* * *

Chad was bored. "Gabriella, where are we going? To Santa Fe on foot?" he asked as he followed the speed-walking girl in front him. He hands were deep in his jeans pockets. "I thought you wanted to talk."

"I do," Gabriella assured him. "I just want to be far away from Troy's."

He smirked. "You're gonna ask me out, aren't you?"

Gabriella spun around. "No, but you're within the radar."

"Oh, so you just wanna do it."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you really think you should be making jokes about that?"

He blinked. "What?"

"You and Sharpay." Gabriella crossed her arms over her chest and proceeded to tap her foot on the asphalt. "Talk."

Chad swallowed, but said, in a very rehearsed tone, "Talk? What do you mean?"

"I know you guys did it," she informed him.

"She told you!?" he exclaimed.

"You do realize that Sharpay is the Queen of Gossip?" she reminded him. "Did you really expect her to keep secrets to herself?"

"I didn't expect her to go out and tell everyone about it the next day," Chad grumbled.

Gabriella sighed. "She didn't. She didn't even want to tell me. I beat it out of her."

"...huh?"

"Look, Chad." She reached over and clamped her hands tightly over his shoulders. "Did last night really mean nothing to you?"

"Why? Did Sharpay say something?" he asked sharply, and a smile slowly crept its way up Gabriella's features. "What?"

"It _did_ mean something!"

"Wha – I didn't say --"

Gabriella was beaming. "You didn't have to,"

"What makes you think --" he tried again, but Gabriella wouldn't hear of it.

"So then why did you tell her that it meant nothing?"

"I'm not talking about this," said Chad irritably and he tried to turn away.

"I swear to God, Chad, you are the biggest asshole in the world," said Gabriella angrily.

All of the anger and frustration that had been boiling inside Chad for the past couple of days suddenly erupted at Gabriella's words, and he whipped back around, pointing a finger threateningly at her. "I'm an asshole?" he reiterated. "Yeah, I'm such an asshole because I slept with Sharpay and told her it didn't mean anything so she wouldn't have to deal with my stupid feelings. Okay, so I'm a fucking douchebag."

Gabriella watched him calmly. "Stupid feelings?"

"Yes, stupid feelings," he growled. "The stupid feelings that I've been having since, like, last summer and have tried to fucking hard to get rid of."

"You like her," she stated simply.

"I don't like her," he snapped instinctively, and then sighed.

"Do you loooove her, then?" she taunted him.

He glared daggers at her. "Shut up."

"Well, I gotta say, you messed up big time."

"Oh yeah?"

Gabriella stared at for a few seconds. "Have you really not figured it out yet?"

"... figured what out?"

She shook him by the shoulders. "SHARPAY. LIKES. YOU."

Chad shook his head. "No, she doesn't. She agreed with me when I said last night didn't mean anything." He breathed deeply. "If if meant something to her, she would've said something."

"Oh, yeah," said Gabriella sarcastically. "Because if it had been the _other_ way around, and _she_ had said it first, you would've totally told her how you felt, wouldn't you?"

Instead of responding right away, Chad stared, deep in thought, at a tree on the other side of the street. Just as Gabriella was starting to loser her patience, he asked softly, "Are you sure?"

* * *

When Gabriella and Chad arrived back at Troy's house some ten minutes later, Taylor was still comforting Sharpay. She had since stopped crying but was staring dejectedly at the TV screen, which had switched to South Park.

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the arrivals, and they looked back and forth nervously between Chad and Sharpay.

"Hi," said Chad quietly, staring at the blonde.

She looked anywhere but at him. "Hello," she said cordially.

"What's that? Coming, Mrs. Bolton!" yelled Gabriella, causing everyone to start. "Troy, your mom is calling us. All of us. Except Chad and Sharpay."

"Yeah, I hear her too," said Taylor quickly, grabbing Zeke and Ryan while Gabriella pulled Troy and Jason out of the den, slamming the door behind them.

The two were left alone, for the first time since the night before, and the thought was fresh in both their minds. Chad was still looking at Sharpay, but she was preoccupied with Troy's Fall Out Boy poster, in a further attempt to avoid eye contact.

"So, um, Gabriella and I talked about some things," Chad said finally.

Sharpay's eyes snapped back to his. She breathed in through her nose and strode over to Chad, her many years of acting practice put into effect. She smiled at him. "It's okay, Chad. I know what she probably told you but you don't have to worry. I only said all that because I wasn't feeling well and had taken too much medicine in the morning. I was kind of delirious." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't even worry about it." Brushing past him, she purposefully walked toward the door, her hips swaying side to side in her usual manner.

"Come on, Shar, wait," pleaded Chad.

Sharpay whipped around so fast that her blonde hair slapped her in the face. She glared at him and said, in a low voice, "Don't call me that."

He swallowed. "Can't I just say one thing?"

"I think you've said enough." She gave him a big, fake smile and tried to leave again.

"I didn't mean what I said last night," he called from behind her.

Contrary to the previous incident, Sharpay turned around slowly that time. She narrowed her eyes. "Which part? The 'that was amazing' part, or..."

He chuckled. "No, I meant that part." He paused. "The other thing, though, I didn't."

Her guard down and her eyes watering, she watched him for a while and then started shaking her head. "No, no, no."

"What?" Chad asked nervously.

"No, you can't just walk in here and tell me 'oh, last night, I was just kidding! Ha-ha!' It doesn't work like that, Chad, don't you get it?" she asked, frustrated. "This morning, I was so miserable. _So_ miserable. Every guy I've dated has hurt me and then you did too, and we weren't even dating!" She started pacing angrily. "How do I know that you're not just going to use me to fuck? How do I know that you didn't just decide while you were out with Gabriella that I was really good and you could probably make good use of me for a couple months before we go away to college and never see each other again? How do I know that you didn't just make up some bullshit story about your sad, unrequited love, and --"

Chad silenced her with his lips on her own, wrapping his arms around her waist, just like the night before, but she pushed him off. "Stop it!" she shrieked. "This isn't a movie, Chad! You can't just make out with me and expect me to forgive you and we'll all live happily ever after."

"How could you think that I would use you?" he asked, so sincerely that she froze.

"I – Chad, it's just --" she stammered. "We hate each other!" she exclaimed. "You hate me, I hate you. It's always been like that. You said it yourself, last night was just --"

"But I didn't mean it," he exploded again, swelling with rage like he had during his talk with Gabriella. "Did I not already say that? Jesus fucking Christ, Sharpay, what do I have to do to get you to realize that I DIDN'T MEAN IT!?" Sharpay stared at him, her mouth slightly open. "God, I only said it because I thought _you_ didn't like me. But guess what? I like you a lot, Sharpay. For a long time. And I don't care if you're gonna pretend like you don't feel the same way, because Gabriella told me everything." He glared at her. "But I guess you expect me to spell it out for you in a pink airplane with your initials on it, right? Well, sorry, but if that's what you need to actually believe what I'm saying, then I guess we don't have anything."

There was a long silence as Chad's words sunk in with Sharpay, and he breathed in deeply, regaining control of his anger. After a few moments of them both shuffling their feet and staring at the floor awkwardly, she walked over to him and slipped her hand in his. She pouted, and said, "You wouldn't write words in a plane for me?"

He smirked. "That depends. Would you get me tickets to the NBA Finals?"

She eyed him irritably, but sighed in defeat. "Sure."

"Then I'll do anything." He grinned and winked.

"IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME!" came a yell from the hallway, followed by a series of hissed whispers. Chad, still holding Sharpay's hand, walked over to the door of the den and opened it, revealing Taylor, Troy, Chad, Zeke, Jason, and Gabriella, all crouched down, listening. They glanced up guiltily.

"What the --" started Chad, but was interrupted by Lila coming around the corner with a bowl of popcorn.

"Did I miss it?" she asked wildly.

* * *

**AN:** I hope I did Sharpay and Chad justice. THOUGHTS?

**UP NEXT:**

Some of Sharpay's insecurities return to haunt her.


	30. Show Me

**AN:** Again. Troyella is on hold. kthx.

The chapter title comes from the musical _My Fair Lady_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Show Me_

Troy was annoyed.

Gabriella was scowling.

Taylor was frowning.

Ryan was glaring.

Zeke was irritated.

Jason was bored.

Chad and Sharpay were making out.

The six friends tried to ignore the latter two's loud kisses, but after twenty minutes their patience began to wear thin.

"Can you guys shut up?" Taylor asked finally.

Either Sharpay and Chad were too preoccupied with each other's lips to register Taylor's words, or they just simply didn't care. Either way, their make-out session did not cease.

"This is why it sucks that we always hang out at the same place," said Ryan.

"Yeah. We should establish a make-out room," Zeke said.

"Maybe Troy's room?" suggested Jason, smirking.

"Oooh, that's a good idea," Gabriella agreed. "Hey, maybe it could be the school's unofficial sex room, and we could charge people to use it."

"Yeah, I like that idea," Troy said sarcastically, "but I would like it more if it wasn't in my room."

"Well, we would put it in Lila's room," said Taylor, "but she's always using it."

Troy frowned. "Please don't remind me that my grandmother is getting more sex than I am."

"Troy, your grandmother is getting more sex than you," teased Jason.

"Well, at least I've done it before," Troy retorted. Jason glared at him.

Taylor looked at Chad and Sharpay again, who were still attached at the mouth. "Geez, Sharpay, what is it about the guys you go out with?"

Sharpay broke away from Chad for the first time, only long enough to say, "Huh?"

"Well, when you and Zeke were going out, all you did was grope each other. You must attract a certain type of guys."

"Like horny ones?" suggested Gabriella.

Sharpay pulled away from Chad again, frowning, and this time she made no move to continue. "Um. Sorry. Why don't we take a break now?"

Chad mock-glared at Taylor. "Gee, thanks." But he too sat up and draped his arm lazily around Sharpay's shoulders.

"So. What should we do now?"

"Have you realized how boring our lives are?" Troy questioned. "Every day we sit around and talk about how we never do anything, and then we somehow manage to get ourselves involved in a really stupid conversation or argument."

"Um, I have to go," Sharpay said suddenly, standing up.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked Chad in confusion.

"I forgot I have to... be somewhere," she said lamely, striding to the door and letting herself out.

Chad looked around. "Did I screw up _already_?"

Troy looked at him sympathetically. "Wow. That's like a record. You screwed up without even doing anything."

Chad glanced at Gabriella and Taylor. "What do I do? Do I follow her, what?"

"I don't know," said Gabriella uncertainly. "Sharpay's not exactly the most predicable person."

"What have I gotten myself into?" Chad groaned.

* * *

Sharpay sat on her bed, her arms wrapped around a pillow that was tucked under her chin. Her face held a stony expression, and her television was on, but she paid no attention to it. In fact, the movie that was playing had long since ended, and the screen was black. She made no move to turn it off.

A knock came at the door. "Sharpay?"

"Go away, Ryan."

"Gabriella's here."

"Go away, Gabriella."

The door opened anyway, and Gabriella stepped inside. "You should've locked it."

"I didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to come in anyway."

"Oh, please. I'm not afraid of you."

She crossed over to the room and sat down at the foot of Sharpay's bed. She glanced at the television. "Watching something?"

Sharpay blinked at it. "Oh. Yeah. I was. I guess it ended."

Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "Did you fall asleep?"

"No."

"Hm." She picked up the remote and flicked the TV off for her. She turned around and crossed her legs, Indian-style, so she was directly facing Sharpay. "_Now_ what's wrong?" she asked in a tired voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you seem to be having a lot of problems lately. I fee like this question is becoming quite redundant."

"Not everyone's life is perfect like yours," snapped Sharpay.

Gabriella grinned. "And I _know_ something is wrong when you resort to bitchy insults.Some things about you are predictable." She put her arms on her knees and placed her head in her hands. "So, what's up? Chad's called you like ten times but he's afraid to come over. He thinks he did something wrong."

"He didn't do anything wrong."

"So, why don't you want to talk to him?"

"I don't want to talk to _anyone_."

"Okay," Gabriella sighed impatiently. "Why don't you want to talk to anyone?"

Sharpay fidgeted. "No reason."

"Your answer is becoming redundant too."

"Well, I just don't want to tell you."

"I know you pretty well, Sharpay. How much you wanna bet I can figure it out?"

"Go ahead."

Gabriella paused. "Oh... I thought you would fall for that..." She thought for a few seconds. "Okay, so I don't know. Give me a hint?"

"No."

"Oh, please?"

"Gabriella, shut up."

"I'll shut up if you tell me."

Sharpay pouted. "It's stupid. And I feel dumb."

"If you're upset about it, it's not stupid."

"Wow, that was really moving, Oprah," Sharpay said sardonically.

Gabriella narrowed her eyes. "Do you want my help or not?"

"Or not."

"Yes, you do. You just don't want to admit it."

Sharpay growled in frustration and placed the pillow over her face.

"You're really stubborn. You know that, right?" asked Gabriella casually.

"So are you."

"But I'm stubborn in a good way," she said sweetly. She wrenched the pillow out of Sharpay's grasp and tossed it against the wall. Sharpay just groaned and reached for another pillow. "Nope." Gabriella was one step ahead of her; she picked up all of Sharpay's many pillows and heaved them onto the floor.

Sharpay flipped onto her stomach and burred her face in her comforter. Gabriella sighed irritably and shoved Sharpay's shoulder, causing the latter to topple off the bed.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" exclaimed Sharpay, jumping up.

"That's for the times you have pushed _me_ off my bed."

"You deserved it."

"I deserved it on my birthday?"

"Yes, because you wouldn't let us surprise you!"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "How about we both deserved it? Now." She stood on her knees on Sharpay's bed and bounced herself lightly. "Tell meeeee."

Sharpay stared at her friend for a few long seconds, contemplating and weighing her options. Her jaw was clenched as if her body was trying to stop her from saying what her brain was telling her to. "Ugh, fine! Fine." She plopped down on the bed next to Gabriella, and the dark-haired girl bounced from the impact. "Okay. Well, it's just what Taylor said got to me."

Gabriella looked at her incredulously. "You mean that you and Chad make out a lot? Why would _that_ make you mad?"

"No, not that. About the type of guys I tend to date."

"Guys you're physical with?"

"Well, yeah... but also..." She chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Well, it's just, my first boyfriend, James, cheated on me. Zeke cheated on me." She gazed at Gabriella. "It's like a pattern. Maybe I _do_ attract cheaters."

Gabriella couldn't help it; she laughed. Sharpay looked at her murderously and Gabriella covered her mouth with her hands. "I'm sorry," she giggled. "But do you really think Chad is going to cheat on you?"

"I didn't think Zeke was going to cheat on me."

"Yeah, but... come on, Sharpay. Chad has been in love with you for almost a year."

"If my memory serves correctly, Zeke pined after me for quite a while."

Gabriella shook her head. "No offense to Zeke, but he's not exactly the most mature person in the world. His affections for you weren't that deep."

"How do you know Chad's are any deeper? I wouldn't call him very mature either."

"Chad was willing to keep his feelings for you to himself if it meant you would be happier," Gabriella told her. "He went out of his way to do things for you for no reason whatsoever except to make you happy."

"Zeke baked me food."

"To try and impress you."

Sharpay threw herself flat on her bed. "I hate feeling this way and sounding like a downer, but I really can't get the thought of my mind. I get where you're coming from, Gabriella, but whenever I start to think that you're right, I just remember that I've been cheated on twice."

Gabriella laid herself down next to her blonde friend. "I can't say I know what you're feeling, but I understand why you feel it. But trust me, Sharpay, if you push Chad away or dump him or whatever, you're going to regret it."

"You think?" Sharpay asked quietly.

The former nodded. "Yeah."

Sharpay sat up. "What should I do, then? Just ignore it?"

"No!" exclaimed Gabriella. "Tell Chad what you're feeling."

"But I don't want to!" she whined. "I feel like this is Party of Five. Everything in our lives is all dramatic suddenly. I hate it."

"Well, life is dramatic sometimes. Now go."

Sharpay eyed Gabriella for a few seconds, before quickly pushing her off the bed. Gabriella landed with a crash to the ground. By the time she looked up, Sharpay was already in her doorway. "_That's_ what I get for helping you?"

"No, that's what you get for pushing me off my bed," she smirked, and left.

Gabriella rolled her eyes in annoyance, picking herself and straightening out her clothes. As she turned to leave, her eyes fell upon a framed picture that she'd never seen during her prior visits to Sharpay's house, however infrequent they were. Gabriella picked up the picture and studied it; it was a black-and-white head shot of someone she didn't know, and there was loopy black writing obscuring it. Narrowing her eyes, she attempted to decipher the words. "Sharpay," she read slowly. "You will bop to the top." She brought the picture closer, her eyes slits. "Idina Menzel?"

Sharpay's favorite Broadway actress. Gabriella placed the picture back on Sharpay's desk, her brow furrowed. If Sharpay had met her favorite actress, Gabriella could hardly believe she would keep it under wraps. Unless --

Gabriella gasped loudly, realization hitting her. "Awww!"

* * *

Sharpay blinked up at the house in front of her. She had _never_ been to Chad's house before, as weird as that was. She didn't even think she'd ever met his family before.

She raised a fist nervously and knocked three times on the door. She bounced on the balls of her feet, her hands clasped behind her back. With her luck, Chad's annoying-as-hell older brother would answer the door.

Someone was on her side that day. Chad answered the door, looking annoyed, but his face brightened up at the sight of her. "Sharpay, hi!" He quickly stepped outside and shut the door behind her. "What's... up?" he asked cautiously.

"Let's sit."

He obliged, and the two took seats on Chad's front steps. Sharpay's hands were still clasped together tightly, now in her lap, and her knuckles were turning white. Chad noticed, and said, "Um, I think you're cutting off your circulation."

She blinked and glanced down. "Oh." She separated her hands and instead sat on them.

"Are you okay?" probed Chad carefully.

"Yeah. I just... need to tell you something."

He watched her worriedly, but after a few minutes of her staring at the house across of them, said, slightly displeased, "Well, would you like to come back tomorrow?"

She looked at him, not even spitting a retort back in his face. "Sorry. The thing is..." She rolled her eyes at herself. "I'm being so dumb. Look, I'll get to the point. I've had two boyfriends, and they've both cheated on me. I want to let you know that if _you_ cheat on me, you won't be happy with the end result. I went easy on Zeke."

Chad looked taken aback. "Cheat on you? I would never ---"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you would never cheat on me. Well, Zeke would've said the same thing, too, had I asked him – actually, all guys would say that, so --"

She stopped with Chad's hot lips on her own, his hand touching her hair tenderly. The kiss was more gentle than most of other ones they had shared together, and Sharpay was surprised that Chad could be so delicate.

He pulled away when breathing become a necessity, and he took hold of her hands. "Sharpay, I am never going to cheat on you, okay?"

She ran her tongue over her lips. "If you ever do, do I have your permission to torture you using the Saw movies as inspiration?" she asked hopefully.

"You can use Saw _and_ Hostel as your inspiration," he offered.

She looked at him admiringly. "Wow. You must be pretty confident. I'm being serious, you know."

"I know you well enough to know that you're being serious," said Chad. He paused, and added, "So... are we done with the sappy stuff?"

"Oh, God yes."

"Good. Wanna go to Troy's house?"

"Well... I've always wanted to make out with a guy on a porch."

"You've never done that before?"

"Well, that one time did I did it with Zeke in Troy's backyard --"

"Okay, okay, we don't need to hear about that," said Chad quickly.

"Aww, Chad. You are such the jealous type," Sharpay teased.

"I am not."

"You so are. Like when I flirted with Adam at the baseball game..."

"You did that to get me pissed, didn't you?"

"Maybe. Did it work?"

"Maybe."

"So it made you jealous?"

"No."

Sharpay hit him in the shoulder. "Shut up, yes it did. You're ruining it."

* * *

**AN:** Awww, Chadpay fluff. I love them.

And OH MY GOSH tell me you're not _dying_ to read the next chapter. I want to hear guesses! Don't just review for the next chapter and say, "Oh, I knew it." Tell me in a review now who you think it is. :)

**UP NEXT:**

A character comes out as gay.


	31. If You Were Gay

**AN:** Haha, oh, my gosh, I loved getting all your reviews and hearing everyone's guesses. Well, I have a long AN at the end of the chapter so I'll keep this one short.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Avenue Q_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_If You Were Gay_

"So... what do you wanna do?"

"I don't know, what do you wanna do?"

"I don't know. I asked you first."

"I asked you second. First the worst, second the best."

"That makes no sense in this context."

It was Saturday morning, and the group of eight was sitting in Troy's den, having their predictable boredom conversation. They had long gotten over the fact that they never did anything remotely interesting, and had instead turned their attention into attempting to live a full life. Alas, it usually never worked.

"We could have an orgy."

Or sometimes it worked too well.

"No, Jason, don't be gross," said Gabriella disgustedly. She was sitting on the couch, next to Jason, who was perched on the arm of the couch. She scooted closer to Chad, who was on her other side.

"He just wants an orgy so he can get some, from a guy _or_ girl," smirked Chad.

"Not true."

Sharpay, who was standing against the wall, looking just about bored to tears, sighed. "Well, we're not gonna get anything done just standing here." She walked over to the couch and plopped herself down between Gabriella and her boyfriend, before yelping and jumping back up.

"What's up?" asked Chad, eyeing her strangely.

She wrinkled her nose. "I sat on something." She bent over and stuck her hand behind the cushion of the couch. "There's something in here..." She yanked a strange shaped object out and gazed at it.

Everyone stared.

Everyone blinked.

Everyone yelled.

"Is that what I --?"

"A DILDO!?"

Sharpay screamed and threw the sex toy up in the air, and everyone scrambled out of it's path.

"Oh, my God," said Sharpay, looking sick. "Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my --"

"Shut up!" snapped Chad, although he looked grossed out as well.

"I just touched that! Someone may have _used_ that!" She sprinted into the connected bathroom off the den.

"Well, at least we're not bored anymore," said Troy positively.

"Yeah. Instead we're looking for who brought that in here," Chad agreed.

They all looked around at each other.

"It wasn't me!" cried Gabriella, also looking a little green.

"Or me," Taylor said.

"Well, I'm having sex," said Chad, "so it wasn't me."

"You just have to mention that at every chance you get, don't you?" Jason asked him.

Chad nodded. "Pretty much." He turned and pointed at the other four guys. "So that leaves you."

"What!?" exclaimed Ryan. "How do you know that it didn't belong to one of the girls?" He pointed at them accusatorily.

"Do you really think Gabriella and Taylor, of all people, would own a dildo?" said Chad in exasperation. "A vibrator, maybe, but a dildo?" Taylor swatted at him. "What? I'm sticking up for you!"

"You never know," Ryan said. "Gabriella hasn't had sex since she and Troy broke up, and Taylor hasn't at all yet. Maybe they're getting a little --"

Gabriella shoved him. "Shut up. Stay out of my sex life."

"Well, Gabriella, that might be a little tough, seeing as how we just discovered a sex toy in my den," said Troy, and then he paled. "Which means someone _used_ it in here!"

"This just keeps getting worse," groaned Sharpay, walking back into the room. Her hands were red from scrubbing them.

"Anyway, it's back to your four," Chad repeated. "And my money is on... well, everyone but Zeke."

"Why him?" whined Jason.

"Because he's had more sex than any of us combined," said Chad sadly. "But Troy is probably sexually frustrated since Gabriella, Ryan since – what was it, two years ago that you did it? And Jason since... forever."

"It can't have been them all," said Sharpay. She was glaring at all the boys. "When I found out who left that thing in the couch and let me touch it, I swear I'll --"

Chad put a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, okay. I'm gonna go with Ryan."

"WHAT!?"

"Well, you were getting all defensive earlier."

"Okay. You realize that gay guys use dildo's, right?"

"... really?"

"Yeah. In case you haven't noticed, it's shaped like a dick. There's only one way for it to go in."

"NOT LISTENING!" yelled Sharpay, her hands over her ears.

"Well, Ryan, you have a lot of knowledge on the subject," Chad said intentionally.

Ryan glared. "It's not that hard to put two and two together."

"I'm not gay!" Jason cried. "Right? I mean, just because I was Edna in Hairspray and I'm an eighteen-year-old virgin doesn't mean I wanna do guys, does it? That guy in the 40-Year-Old Virgin wasn't gay --" He gasped suddenly. "_What if they left that part out of the movie_?" he hissed fearfully.

"You're not gay," said Troy rolling his eyes. "Unless that's yours."

"It's not mine!"

"It's not mine, either!" Ryan asserted.

"Or mine," Troy said. "So, we're back to square one."

"How are we supposed to figure it out?" Sharpay asked. "Unless someone 'fesses up."

Chad looked at Troy. "Could is possibly be... your grandmother's?"

Troy looked horrified. "Does my grandmother need to get anymore freaky? Please, God, no."

Sharpay smirked. "If could be your step-grandfather's."

Smiling smugly in return, Troy said, "Do you really want to have held a sex toy that was in --"

"Okay, okay!" she interrupted him loudly.

"So who wants to admit to it?" Gabriella asked, and no one said anything. She sighed. "Well, we've made a lot of progress."

"I feel dirty," said Sharpay.

"Your first time was on a park bench; you _are_ dirty," Taylor reminded her.

* * *

Later that day, Troy and Gabriella were in his kitchen, watching TV and eating cereal. Gabriella kept shooting Troy side-glances, and finally, in annoyance, he dropped his spoon into his bowl and asked, "Do you need something?"

She looked surprised. "No."

"Well, either you can't get over my good looks and you want to have some non-relationship sex, for which I am fine with, or something else is bothering you."

She narrowed her eyes. "No, I don't want to sleep with you."

"So it's the second one?"

"... maybe."

"Is it that dildo thing?"

"I... well, it _wasn't_ yours, right?"

"I am not gay, Gabriella," he said shortly.

"I don't care if you're gay," she said in what she must've thought was a comforting tone.

"I'm not gay, Gabriella!" he exclaimed.

"Are you sure?"

He stared at her incredulously. "I'm positive."

* * *

Sharpay and Chad were on Sharpay's bed, making out. After a few moments, though, Sharpay pulled away. "Whose was that?"

"Was what?" grumbled Chad, distracted.

"The... thing."

Chad sighed. "I don't know. Why are you asking me?"

"Because I want to know. Was it yours?"

"Are you kidding?"

"Well, is it? Am I not satisfying you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Trust me. You keep me busy enough."

"But what if I'm not satisfying you because... I'm a girl?"

"Are you saying --"

"It could be."

"I'm not even going to answer that," he said, and he began to kiss her again.

* * *

Taylor and Zeke were sitting in Troy's den together, watching TV.

"So that was pretty crazy earlier, wasn't it?" said Taylor casually. She felt awkward. She and Zeke never hung out alone together. She wasn't quite sure what to say.

"Mhm." He nodded.

"Whose do you think it was?"

He shrugged.

"So... nice weather."

He said nothing.

She sighed. She glanced at her phone, pretending to read a nonexistent text message. "Well, I gotta get going --"

"Can I tell you something?" he asked suddenly.

She raised an eyebrow, but nodded slowly. "Um, sure. What's up?"

"That... thing." He took a deep breath. "It was mine."

Taylor blinked. "What?"

"You can't tell anyone, though," he ordered.

"Zeke, are you --" she asked slowly.

"Promise?" he interrupted.

"Um. Yeah. I promise."

* * *

Later that night, everyone had gathered back into the den, but there was visible tension. Everyone was looking at each other strangely, wondering which one of them had brought the sex toy into the house. The group never had secrets between them, so this particular occurrence did not sit well with them.

"Can we just figure out who used that damn thing!?" Sharpay exploded, and they all jumped. "Jesus, this is cutting into our life."

"Yeah, she's right," Gabriella said. "Come on, whoever it was, just tell us. We're not gonna care."

"Oh, I'll care," snapped Sharpay. "Because I _touched_ it."

Glances were sent in every direction, but still, no one said anything. Taylor looked over at Zeke, who had his poker face up. She gave a tiny sigh, and said, "It's mine."

Everyone turned to stare at her. "_What!?_" spat Ryan, Sharpay, Gabriella, Troy, Chad, and Jason in unison.

"Yeah. I... uh... was curious," she said lamely, trying to sound embarrassed. "I was wondering where it had gotten to."

Ryan stared at her. "Are you kidding?"

"Um, no," she said. "Really. I was, uh, pretty horny."

"That's gross," remarked Chad.

"Yeah. It actually kinda was," Taylor agreed. "I'm not gonna do it again. Or at least... not here."

Troy made a face. "... ew."

"What are you doing, Taylor?" sighed Zeke. Everyone's gazes turned to him, and he was looking at her.

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked. "I'm just telling them it's mine so everyone can get back to normal."

"It's not yours."

The other six looked confused. "What's going on?" questioned Gabriella.

"It's not Taylor's," said Zeke miserably. "It's mine."

There was a small pause.

"Okay, a few hours ago, we couldn't get _anyone_ to talk. And now, we have two people?" Chad shook his head. "I'm afraid we have the same dilemma. Who do we believe?"

"Me, because it's mine," Zeke repeated.

"Oh, thank God you said it," said Taylor in relief. "That was kind of terrible, with everyone thinking I was some freak. No offense," she added.

Gabriella sat next to Zeke. "Are you --"

"No," he said quickly.

"Come on, Zeke, just admit it," said Sharpay. "Are you gay or not?"

"Leave me alone."

Chad raised an eyebrow. "Someone's touchy..."

"I'm not touchy, but I don't want to get all these gay questions."

"Well, you should've expected them when you masturbated with a gay sex toy in my house," said Troy harshly.

"Troy," said Gabriella warningly, before turning back to Zeke. "You know, we don't care if you are."

"Yeah," Sharpay agreed, in a rare form of compassion. "Do you really think we'd kick you to the curb 'cause you like other guys?" She gasped suddenly. "Oh, my God. You can go shopping with us! You can help me pick out shoes and we can talk about all the hot Abercrombie underwear models!"

"I don't like feminine stuff," snapped Zeke.

"Did you just admit it?" Sharpay asked quickly.

"Oooh, Sharpay, very sneaky tactic," said Gabriella approvingly.

"... no."

"Come on, man," said Chad. "Look, we don't care if you're gay. Sure, we'll make fun of you for it, and make a lot of gay jokes, but we're not gonna stop hanging out with you."

Zeke was still frowning. "I hate this."

"What?" probed Gabriella.

"Being... gay."

"Why?"

"Because it's weird!" he exclaimed. "I mean, I tried to tell my parents, but they just said it was a 'phase,'" He used air quotes, and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like this is something I'd choose."

"Who cares about your parents?" asked Chad.

"Well, they might be acting stupid, but they're still my parents."

Gabriella smiled sympathetically. "They'll come around, Zeke. But if you want your parents to accept it, you have to accept it yourself. I'm sure no one wants this kind of thing to happen to them, but you can't fight it."

"I know."

"Wow, that was easy," muttered Sharpay. Louder, she said, "What _I_ think is ironic is that you're the one who's done it with the most girls."

"Sharpay!" exclaimed Taylor, but Zeke laughed.

"Yeah. Well, I've kinda been feeling this way for a while."

"Ooooh, was it one of those things where you slept with girls to make you straight?" Sharpay asked eagerly. "This is so cool, it's like the movies."

Chad rolled his eyes.

"Wait." Sharpay looked up at him, a thought striking her. "Did you feel this way when we were dating? Did I turn you gay!?" She jumped up and shook Chad. "Chad, I turned Zeke gay! Am I that repulsive? Please, don't dump me! I swear, I won't turn you gay, too!"

"You didn't turn me gay," Zeke assured her.

"Oh." She put a hand over her heart and breathed out deeply. "Thank God." She beamed again. "So, do you, like, have a boyfriend? Are you gonna bring him over? Can I meet him?!"

Zeke flushed. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Well, when you have one, can I meet him?"

"Uh... sure."

"This is so cool," Sharpay said again. "It's like that gay best friend you see on TV. Zeke, do you wanna be my gay best friend?"

"Um, okay."

Troy cut in and said, "Well, Zeke, prepare for an avalanche of gay jokes."

"I am." He frowned again. "I'm glad that you guys are so accepting but... what about the rest of the school?"

"What about them?" asked Troy, puzzled.

"Well, they probably won't be so nice about it."

"Who cares?" said Gabriella, and they all looked at her. "Really, who cares? Troy and I didn't care when we auditioned for the musical last year, and look how well that turned out."

"Yes, Gabriella, but I think my homosexuality is a little bit of a bigger deal than that," said Zeke sarcastically.

"Maybe, but you still shouldn't care," she said. "So some people will make fun of you. What does it matter to you? And even if it did matter to you, we graduate in two months."

Chad nodded. "Yeah, and we're the coolest kids in school," he said dramatically.

Zeke grinned. "Okay. Well, thanks, guys. I'm glad you didn't freak out."

"We did freak out. But not about you being gay." Sharpay looked disgusted again.

"Speaking of," said Troy, "can you not bring that over anymore?"

Zeke blushed. "Well, I actually never used that. My dad thought it was a kind gesture to buy it for me."

"Suuure."

* * *

**AN:** I'm hoping most of my readers by now are readers who are very open to different plot lines. Oh, and are not homophobic either.

Eight out of thirty-seven reviews said Zeke. Most of you said Jason, which I found funny, and a lot figured that Ryan would be too predictable. I got a couple Taylor theories, which I found amusing. One that had both Ryan AND Jason becoming a gay couple. Oh, and two Morris's and a Miss Darbus. ;-)

Zeke wasn't always going to be gay, by the way. When I first, first, FIRST thought of this story, back in March/April-ish, I wanted to make a character gay who wasn't Ryan, because he's always stereotypically gay and I didn't like the predictable-ness of it. I was halfway through planning the revamped story back in August (this one), where Zeke was a man-whore and Jason was a sad virgin, when I remembered my gay character idea, and it fit perfectly with Zeke. I figured he could be a man-whore to try and change his same-sex feelings with, of course, no results. I thought it would almost sound like a cop-out if the only guy virgin came out as gay, so, voila. Gay Zeke was born.

Thoughts? Hopefully positive ones?

**UP NEXT:**

Some dirty pictures fall into the wrong hands.


	32. Trouble

**AN:** I forgot to mention this in the last chapter – I don't know if anyone remembers, but in chapter 9, after Zeke cheated on Sharpay, I said that the reason he cheated would be revealed. The reason was his sexuality, in case you didn't catch that.

OH MY GOSH. I finished chapter 40. I'm very happy at the moment, even though I completed it yesterday.

The chapter title comes from the musical _The Music Man_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Trouble_

Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Jason, and Ryan were gathered around Troy's pool table one Sunday afternoon. Troy and Chad, the reigning champions, were playing against Jason and Zeke. Gabriella and Taylor were acting as cheerleaders, and Ryan as a commentator.

"Chad is lining up the shot... he's deep in concentration... it looks as if a vein is going to pop out of his forehead... he's concentrating _really_ hard..."

Chad sighed and straightened up. "Ryan, shut the fuck up, or I'm going to beat you with my stick."

Ryan smirked. "That's something _Zeke_ would say."

Zeke shoved Ryan. "I'll help you, Chad."

Chad waved the pool stick over his head, and Ryan wilted. "Fine, fine." He lapsed into silence as Chad fell back into his concentrated state, his eyes narrowed. He pulled the stick back, ready to take his shot, when Ryan said, "He's gonna make it!" The sudden noise caused Chad to hit the cue ball the wrong way, and he stood up, glowering. "Sorry."

"Goooo Chad!" cried Gabriella and Taylor in unison.

He growled in frustration. "Jason. Go." He leaned up against the wall, pouting.

"Where's Sharpay?" Taylor asked.

Chad responded, "She said she had to take care of a few things and then she'll come over." He turned to Ryan. "Aren't you gonna bother Jason during his turn?"

"No, no. That was reserved especially for you."

Seven different text message rings sounded throughout the room simultaneously, and their respective owners all pulled out their phones, perplexed. "Did we all just get a text at the same time?"

"Maybe it's a party invite," mused Troy, flipping open his phone. The other six followed suit, and there was a few seconds of silent as they let the message load.

"Uh, oh," said Gabriella slowly, being the first one to see it.

"What – oh, my God!" exclaimed Ryan. He closed his phone quickly and it dropped to the floor. He pressed his palms into his eyes.

Taylor looked disgusted. "Did you all just get pictures of Sharpay naked, too?"

Everyone except Chad and Jason had closed the message, and Chad glared at the latter. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm almost done," said Jason, not looking up. Chad darted forward and snatched the phone away from him, deleting the message. "What the hell!?" exclaimed Jason. "What was that for?"

"For looking at naked pictures of _my_ girlfriend!"

"She went them to all of us!"

"So?"

"So, she must want us all to look at them."

"I doubt that."

The back door opened and Sharpay stepped inside. Everyone fell silent.

She walked up to them, smiling, and said, "So, what are we doing?"

They all exchanged glances, none of them sure of what to say. But finally, Jason burst out, "Looking at naked pictures of you!" and Chad punched him in the arm.

"What?" She rounded on Chad. "Did you _show_ them!?"

"What? No!" he cried defensively.

"You sent them to us," said Gabriella.

Sharpay blinked. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did." She pulled out her phone and handed it to Sharpay.

Said blonde gasped loudly. "Oh, my God, I _did_!" She whipped out her own phone, and groaned. "I sent them to my entire phone book!"

"How many people do you have in there?" Taylor asked cautiously.

Sharpay slumped onto the couch miserably. "Like, the entire school. Or at least, everyone that matters."

Chad sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Look on the bright side."

"What bright side?"

"Everyone will know how hot the girl I'm dating is."

She pushed him in the stomach. "That is _so_ not a bright side. Everyone in our school has seen me naked!" Her phone rang, indicating an incoming message, and she opened it. She read the message, and groaned again.

"What is it?"

"A text from this guy on the basketball team."

Chad grabbed the phone from her and read aloud, "'Damn, girl, what a nice body you have. Let's hook up.'" He scowled in anger. "What the hell!?"

"I know! He's not even hot!"

He stared at her. "Would you hook up with him even if he _was_ hot?"

"Of course not!" said Sharpay quickly. "I was just... saying. I can't believe an ugly guy likes me."

"He doesn't like you, he just wants to have sex with you," supplied Gabriella.

Within ten minutes, Sharpay had received seventeen more text messages, and Chad got more and more irritated with each one. Sharpay didn't seem as bothered by the messages as Chad did, who kept reading them out loud.

"You look like a girl who's wild in bed," he read, fuming.

Sharpay looked over and smiled. "Aww, Chad, you're jealous!"

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you are. I didn't know you were the jealous type."

Gabriella stepped forward. "Sorry to interrupt your lover's spat, but I think we all knew that Chad was the jealous type when he had a myocardial infarction after you flirted with another guy."

"... a what?"

"Heart attack."

"Well, why didn't you just say that? It's not like you saved time."

"We learned medical terms in science so I wanted to try them out, okay?" She continued quickly, "But yeah, we all knew that Chad was the jealous type."

Chad frowned. "So what if I am?" he asked defensively.

"No one's saying it's a bad thing!" said Sharpay exasperatedly. "If they were still together, Troy would've gone out and beaten up every single guy if this happened to Gabriella."

"Which it wouldn't have," said Gabriella. "I still can't believe you took pictures like that!"

"I had nothing better to do!" Sharpay said, reddening. "And there's nothing wrong with the human body. It is a beautiful thing!"

"I'll say," muttered Chad, but his girlfriend silenced him.

"It's not beautiful when it's in various sexual positions."

"So, when you and Troy made love, it wasn't beautiful?" Sharpay asked innocently.

"Can we not use the term 'make love?'" asked Chad in annoyance.

Gabriella gaped at Sharpay's words. "What? I --"

Troy folded his arms in mock-anger. "Gabriella, I'm hurt by this. I always thought our love making with more beautiful than newborn babies."

She blinked at him. "Are you joking? And, why are you targeting me?" She pointed accusatorily at Sharpay. "_She's_ the one who sent slutty pictures to the whole school!"

"Gabriella!"

"Well, it's true. They _are_ slutty."

Sharpay pouted. "I am not a slut."

"Even if you were, you're _my_ slut," said Chad sweetly, putting his arm around her.

She smiled and leaned into his embrace. "Well, okay."

Gabriella and Taylor exchanged puzzled looks. "... that's a romantic thing to say?" asked Taylor dubiously.

* * *

"Aren't you nervous?"

It was the following morning, and Gabriella and Sharpay were leaning against the latter's car before school. Sharpay shrugged. "Not really."

"You realize that everyone is going to be talking about you, right?"

She nodded.

"And they'll laugh loudly and point at you?"

She nodded.

"And people will write 'Sharpay is a slut' on the bathroom walls'?"

She gasped dramatically. "Not the bathroom walls!" she said sarcastically.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I've never seen this side of you. Usually you care so much about what other people think."

Sharpay blinked. "I... don't know. You're right, why don't I care? Maybe I can try to care." She paused, thinking deeply, but sighed. "No. I can't care, even when I try."

"I guess Chad has rubbed off on you... for the better," mused Gabriella.

"No, it's not just Chad," said Sharpay thoughtfully. "I haven't really cared when people thought of me for a while now. Like, since after Homecoming."

"Wow. And we're just noticing this?"

"I guess."

"Slut," came a loud whisper a few feet away, and the two girls looked up to see three other girls giggling together behind their hands, staring at Sharpay.

Sharpay grinned at Gabriella and then said loudly, "You know, Gabriella, I've been getting a lot of texts from football players, and they all want to hook up with me. I'm not sure what to do, though, because most of them have girlfriends."

The snickers stopped, and Gabriella saw through her peripheral vision that the girls were glaring at Sharpay. "I don't know," Gabriella responded. "But I can see why they'd want to ditch their girlfriends for you."

The three girls stomped past them, one of the murmuring "whore" as she passed, and Gabriella and Sharpay giggled.

* * *

"Dude, everyone is calling Sharpay a slut," Chad said to Jason during first period Chemistry. The two boys, being lab partners, were conducting an experiment.

Jason, striving for a B in the class, was deep in concentration and barely listening to Chad. "Huh?"

"Everyone's calling Sharpay a slut," he repeated, frowning. "And tonight she'll probably be crying everywhere. This sucks. I hate when she cries."

"How cute."

"No, because then I have to comfort her, and I always say the wrong thing."

All the science rooms were connected to each other by a small storage room; the door to Chad's class's storage room was right next to his lab station. The door was open, and, after quickly checking that his teacher was preoccupied, he leaned back to see into the other classroom. Students weren't technically allowed inside, so when he spied Gabriella and Taylor right by the door in their room, all he could do was loudly whisper their names.

The two looked up at the sound of their names and saw Chad crouched down in his classroom. They bent down as well, their lab table shielding them from view, and knelt down as well. "What?" Gabriella asked across the small storage area.

"Is Sharpay upset?"

There was a short pause. "_This_ is what you need to know?" asked Taylor in irritation.

"... yes."

Taylor rolled her eyes and stood up, returning back to her own experiment, but Gabriella remained stationary. "No, she isn't."

Chad sighed in relief. "Really? Oh, good."

"Aww, Chad, you're so sweet!"

"No, I just --" He started, but then stopped. "Yeah, I know. So... why isn't she upset? Everyone's talking about her."

"Well --" Gabriella started, but was cut short. Her eyes loomed over Chad, and Chad groaned.

"Mr. Danforth," a voice boomed.

"Yes, Mr. Bennett?"

"Would you care to explain what you're doing at the moment?"

Chad stood up and brushed off his clothes. "Just talking to my friend Gabriella."

Gabriella sighed and stood up too. A few seconds later, her AP Chemistry teacher showed up at her elbow. "Mr. Bennett, what seems to be the problem here?" he asked pleasantly.

"Well, Mr. Williams, it appears as if these two took it upon themselves to converse during their labs," Mr. Bennett responded conversationally.

"Did they, now? Well, that won't do." Mr. Williams frowned. "I hate to do this to one of my best students, Miss Montez, but I'm afraid I'll be seeing you after school in detention."

Gabriella glared darkly at Chad before taking a seat back at her lab table, Taylor laughing wildly.

Chad turned to his teacher, who asked, "What exactly were you two talking about?"

Before he could answer, someone said, "Probably his whore-y girlfriend!" Laughs rang out.

Chad felt his blood boil. "Hey, shut the fuck up!"

"Language. _All_ of you," he said pointedly. "Well, Mr. Danforth, I assume you know where you'll be after school."

Chad smirked. "You mean having sex with the hottest girl in school?"

A collective gasp echoed through the room, and Mr. Bennett shook his head. "No, you'll be in detention. But what you do afterward is your choice."

* * *

"Sharpay... they're calling you a slut."

Zeke, Ryan, Jason, Troy, and Taylor were looking apprehensively around the cafeteria during lunch, where almost every person was looking their way and talking behind their hands. Sharpay glanced over off-handedly.

"Let them talk."

Taylor blinked. "Why --" but Gabriella cut across her.

"Sharpay doesn't care about what people think now. I know, it's crazy. I'll explain it to you later."

"Guys, everyone is staring at us," said Jason uncomfortably.

"Yeah, people didn't even talk this much when I came out of the closet," Zeke said.

"Well, that's because everyone already thought you were gay, as it turns out," Sharpay told him. "It somehow went over all our heads."

"... wait, really?"

"Yup.

Zeke frowned, and Jason cut in.

"Still, everyone's staring at us! This is weird!" he complained. "Sharpay, why did you have to accidentally send naked pictures of yourself to the whole school!?"

She stared at him. "Sorry that my social humiliation has affected _you_ so much. Next time my boyfriend and I do something privately, I'll think of you, okay?"

"That's all I ask." He nodded.

"Well, Sharpay, I must say, I've surprised none of this is bothering you," said Chad.

She shrugged. "So am I. But it's better this way. I hated caring about everything. This is such a relief for me."

"What changed?" asked Troy curiously.

Sharpay opened her mouth to respond, but stopped. "I-I don't know."

"Well, it was around Homecoming," Gabriella reminded her. "What happened at Homecoming?'

"Um... Chad ditched me!"

Chad's eyes widened. "Gabriella, are you _trying_ to get me in trouble!" He paused. "Wait. No, I didn't do anything wrong. You're the one who used me!"

"I so did not."

"Yes, you did. You only brought me to be there when you needed me."

"... well..."

He grinned eagerly. "Did I win this fight?"

"No!"

"I think Chad wins," said Gabriella seriously.

"Hey, who's side are you on?" Sharpay snapped.

"Chad's."

"Let's take a vote," said Troy. "All in favor of Chad winning, raise your hands."

Every hand went up except Sharpay's. She scowled at them all.

"Wow, I have great friends."

Chad draped his arm around her shoulders. "Come on. This is one out of, like, fifty. I deserve to win once."

"No you don't. I have to win all the time. It's called Women's Liberation."

"No..." said Gabriella slowly. "That's --"

Sharpay threw a fork at her. "Shut up."

"Look at how she dresses, it's so slutty!" Laughter.

Rolling her eyes, Sharpay said, "Can they really not think of any other insults?"

Chad looked annoyed. "Sharpay, I'm trying not to care for your sake, but it's really hard."

"... for my sake?"

"Yeah. You don't care, so I won't care."

She shoved him. "Are you kidding? I want you to care!"

He paused. "Really?"

"Yes! You're my boyfriend, you're supposed to care and stick up for me!"

"Oh! Well, good. It's hard keeping all this bottled up." He stood up on his chair and said loudly, "Excuse me!"

Sharpay stared at him with wide eyes. "Wait. _What_ are you doing?"

"Hey everyone," said Chad, ignoring Sharpay. All the attention quickly turned to him, as most people had been staring at them anyway. "I just want to say, it's okay to be jealous of Sharpay and I. Really, it is. You girls can call her a slut all you want, but that's okay, because later tonight we're gonna go home and have crazy hot sex while you sit at home doing your math homework and wishing your own boyfriends would stop looking at pictures of said girl I'm having sex with." Chad sat back down and said casually, "Where were we?"

The cafeteria was silent as everyone digested his words. Sharpay was red, and she glared at him. "_What_ is wrong with you?"

"You wanted me to care."

"I wanted you to beat everyone up for me, not... _that_!"

"Sorry, Sharpay, but I'm not gonna do that. I'll do this, though." He grabbed her head and kissed her furiously. Everyone in the lunchroom was still watching them, and they gasped.

Sharpay broke away. "What are you doing?"

"Everyone thinks you're a slut. I'm just giving them what they want."

She shrugged nonchalantly and kissed him again. Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Sharpay, I know you like doing it at school, but that might not be the best idea right after everyone saw naked pictures of you.

* * *

**AN:** Before anyone asks, YES, I did get this idea from Vanessa Hudgens's "scandal."

**UP NEXT:**

College acceptance – and rejection – letters arrive.


	33. You Could Never Shame Me

**AN:** I would just like to assure people that I am a fan of Vanessa. Basing a chapter about her scandal wasn't a jab at her in any way. I just thought that, since tons of teenage girls do the exact same thing, it would be a good thing to put in this story.

Next up will be a nose job... just kidding.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Kiss of the Spider Woman_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_You Could Never Shame Me_

Gabriella walked into Troy's den one day after school with a stony expression. Once inside, she didn't move from the doorway for a good five minutes, her face blank. Gradually, the other seven members of the room took noticed and stared back at her.

"...what?" asked Troy finally.

Gabriella held up a white envelope that was clutched in her right hand; her hand was shaking so much that the letter was flapping back and forth.

"What is that?"

"Letter..." stammered Gabriella. "From Stanford."

Sharpay gasped loudly and jumped up. "Oh, my gosh, open it!"

"I haven't gotten any letters yet," frowned Taylor.

Turning around and glaring, Sharpay said, "This isn't about you, Taylor. Let's focus on Gabriella. After all, this is the very turning point of her life. Whether or not Stanford accepts her determines --"

"Okay," Gabriella cut in weakly. "You aren't helping."

"I wouldn't need to do any helping if you would just open the damn envelope."

Her hands still shaking furiously, Gabriella slowly inserted her finger under the flap and slit the envelope open. She blinked at the open envelope, the letter inside staring at her, and cried, "I can't do it! The envelope is too thin, they didn't accept me!"

"Not true. That's a myth!" exclaimed Sharpay. "My cousin's dream school was Princeton, and when he got the letter, he thought it was too thin so he threw it out. A few weeks later, my aunt found it and opened it – guess what? HE GOT IN!"

Gabriella took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay, I can do this."

"Do it, do it!" chanted Sharpay.

The dark-haired girl slowly removed the letter from the envelope, tossing the latter aside. She unfolded the letter with a snail-like pace, her eyes shut tight. Once the letter was flat, she opened her eyes and skimmed the first line. She didn't say anything.

"Well!?"

"I... I got in."

Sharpay and Taylor jumped in and down in excitement and each hugged Gabriella from the side. "Yay!"

Troy stood up too, and when the girls had released her, he embraced Gabriella tightly as well. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," said Gabriella breathlessly, seemingly in a daze. Once Troy had let go, she practically collapsed onto the nearest chair. "This is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I've seriously been stressing about getting into this school since I was in seventh grade."

"That's nothing," Sharpay said dismissively. "I've been worried about Julliard since I was in preschool."

"Did you get any other letters from colleges?"

Gabriella nodded. "I got my U of A and NYU letters too. I got in to both of them."

Ryan jumped up. "NYU?" He tore out of the room, and Taylor ran after him.

"Ryan, wait! Can you give me a ride home?"

Sharpay and Chad exchanged glances. "U of A. Wanna go check?" asked Chad, and Sharpay nodded. They got up as well and excited the den.

Jason and Zeke too left after a few moments, to check their own mail, leaving Troy and Gabriella. "Aren't you gonna see if you got any letters?" Gabriella asked him. "You applied to U of A and Stanford too, after all."

He nodded, biting his lip nervously. "Yeah, I guess."

* * *

Chad and Sharpay were sitting on the latter's bed, a small pile of letters in between them. Chad and received letters back from UCLA, New Mexico State, and U of A, whilst Sharpay had ones from U of A and --

"Julliard," said Sharpay nervously.

"Go on, open it," Chad encouraged.

She stared at it for a few seconds, and shook her head. "No, you open yours first."

Chad obliged, and opened his letters. "I got into all three."

"... you got into UCLA?" she repeated skeptically.

"Ha-ha, thanks. Basketball scholarship."

"Oh."

"Your turn."

She couldn't seem to bring herself to even touch the Julliard letter, so she instead opened the U of A one. "I got in."

"Now you _have_ to open this." Chad picked it up and held it out to her.

She took it and breathed in deeply. "I'm acting like Gabriella. This is just a dumb letter. I can do this."

She eagerly ripped apart the envelope, her natural confidence returning, and she pulled out the sheet of paper. Her eyes scanned back and forth. She said nothing.

"Well?" asked Chad, just as eagerly.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, so she tried again. "I – I didn't get it."

"What!?" he exclaimed. He snatched the letter away from her and read it over. "How could you not get in?"

Sharpay fell back, sinking deep into her many pillows. "I didn't get in."

Chad tossed the letter onto the floor, resting his hand on her shoulder. "They're dumbasses, then."

She glared at him, showing the first bit of emotion since they'd arrived at her house. "Julliard is not run by dumbasses! Julliard is, like, the number one performing arts school in the world. There's obviously something wrong with me."

"Nothing is wrong with you!" said Chad. "It's not the end of the world if you don't get in. There are other schools, Sharpay."

"But performing is what I'm supposed to do!" she cried dramatically. "What does it say about me that I can't get in? What else is there for me?"

"You don't have to go to Julliard to perform, you know," Chad reminded her. "Do you think _every_ actor went to Julliard?"

"I'm not good enough," she said, ignoring him. "I can't get into Julliard."

Chad was silent for a few seconds, before saying carefully, "Maybe... performing _isn't_ your thing?"

She froze, and stared at him. "_What_?"

"I just mean --" he stuttered. "Just that – there's other things you can do with your life."

"But I don't _want_ to do anything else!" she wailed.

"You can perform at any school," Chad repeated. "Again, you don't need Julliard."

"If I'm not good enough for Julliard, I'm not good enough for Broadway. End of story."

"Sharpay, please," said Chad. "Don't do this to yourself."

"I'm not doing anything to myself." She glared at him again. "You're doing absolutely nothing to help me. Why are you so convinced on changing me?"

"Changing you?" reiterated Chad, bemused. "What --"

"'Maybe performing isn't for you,'" she mimicked him, with a fake deep voice. "God, Chad, is that really what you think? You don't think I should be an actress, do you? What, are you embarrassed dating the 'Drama Queen?'"

"Sharpay, I _never_ said --"

"You've said enough." She stood up and pointed to her door. "Go."

He gaped. "Are you serious?"

Her face was red in anger. "Chad Danforth, I have never been more serious about anything in my life. Especially since, according to you, I have no future on the stage – which is only what I've been working towards my entire life."

"Come on, Sh--"

"_Go_!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Get out! And here, take your all your fucking acceptance letters," she spat, throwing the sheets of paper at him. "Glad you got everything _you_ wanted." She pushed him out of her room and slammed the door shut.

* * *

Taylor and Ryan were sitting on the front steps of Taylor's house, holding a small stack of open letters.

"I'm so glad you got into NYU," said Taylor sincerely. Ryan gave her a grin.

"Thanks. And good job on USC."

"Yeah."

They sat next to each other silently, their shoulders touching, until Ryan finally reached over and gripped her hand tightly. "We'll be able to make it work."

Taylor looked up at him. "How? I'll be in California and you in New York. Complete opposite sides of the country."

"So? We can do it," he said determinedly. "I'm going to make it work, no matter what."

"I want to make it work too," said Taylor seriously.

"Yeah, what's three thousand miles?" joked Ryan.

She laughed. "That's nothing."

"Besides, we'll come home during breaks," said Ryan. "All eight of us will come back and we'll hang out in Troy's den like we always do."

She nodded. "Yeah."

"We'll spend Thanksgiving together again – but hopefully this year we'll have an actual Thanksgiving dinner," he added as an afterthought. "And we'll spend Christmas together too. It won't change too much."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and she snuggled up closely to him. "Yeah. Not too much."

* * *

"You got into U of A, USC, _and_ Stanford. Nice job."

"Thanks."

Troy and Gabriella were alone in his den, and he'd just finished opening up the three letters he'd received in the mail.

"Where are you gonna go? Chad applied to U of A too, right?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah, but I think he's planning on going to UCLA. And I'm thinking U of A right now. They gave me a full scholarship."

Gabriella nodded understandingly.

"The only thing I don't like..." he said thoughtfully. "is that I'll still be living here. Well, not in this house; I'm definitely living on campus. But, you know... my mom and grandmother could come and surprise me any time they want." He frowned.

She giggled. "That would be a little unfortunate."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, Gabriella reading and rereading her acceptance letter. "I think I'm gonna frame this," she confessed. She glanced up and Troy, sighed, and said, "You know... remember when you decided to apply to Stanford? So we could go to school together?"

Troy averted her eyes as he nodded.

"Well... I wasn't happy when you did that."

"Yeah..." He nodded his head again, slowly. "I realized that after we broke up."

* * *

Sharpay was on her bed, hugging a pillow tightly to her chest. Her Julliard rejection letter was on her bed, next to her framed Idina Menzel autographed picture. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two of them, until she finally couldn't stand it anymore. With a roar of fury, she picked up the letter and tore it in half, then quarters, and eighths. She threw the pieces of paper in the air and let them flutter all over her bed.

She whipped out her phone and called Chad's speed dial. He'd barely answered when she said, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Her door opened and she stared at he walked in.

She gaped. "Were you out there the whole time?"

He looked annoyed at himself. "Yeah. I didn't want to go back to Troy's and tell them that we got in _another_ fight."

Sharpay smirked at him. "I know that's not the reason, and I don't even care that you're too embarrassed to say it."

He gestured around at the ripped paper. "I guess you're over Julliard."

"Yeah." She sighed. "You're right, it isn't the end of the world. If I really want to be on Broadway, I don't have to go to Julliard. Idina Menzel didn't even go to there; she went to NYU."

Chad nodded, then paused. "Wait. _If_ you want to be on Broadway?"

"Well, I don't know." She shrugged. "I was just kinda thinking. If it didn't work out like that, it might not be such a bad thing."

He blinked. "... what changed in the last half hour?"

"I just realized that this past year, I've only been in one theatre production, but I haven't thought twice about it," she admitted. "As weird as it is to say... I've had fun just hanging out with you all. Something I _never_ thought I'd admit," she added. "But it's true. I haven't been too upset about the lack of theatre in my life... so, maybe I don't need it."

Chad smiled. "Aw. Now, there's the Sharpay I know and love."

"... what?"

He paled, realizing his mistake. "I didn't say anything."

"Yes you did. You said you loved me!"

"I --"

"Shut up, Chad, and don't you dare take it back."

"But --" He stopped. "You know what, fuck it. I love you, Sharpay."

She squealed loudly. "Yay, yay!" She threw her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I'm so happy you said it... and that you said it first."

"Do you have anything to say back?"

She pulled away. "No."

His mouth opened. "Wha --"

"Just kidding! I love you too, Chad."

He grinned seductively. "Show me how much."

He leaned in to kiss her, but she put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back. "Wait."

"What?"

"Are you still going to UCLA?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"Because, well... you got into U of A, too."

"I know."

"And so did I. And... I think I'm going there."

"Then so am I."

"Are you sure?" she said, concerned. "Because I don't want you to feel that --"

Chad silenced Sharpay with his lips. "I'm going there too."

She smiled. "And one more thing – you're not ashamed to be dating a girl who got rejected from Julliard, are you?"

"Of course not."

"Thank God you said that," she said, grabbing his shirt. "Because _now_ I'm in the mood."

* * *

A few hours later, all eight of them had regrouped back in Troy's den.

"Is everyone happy with their turnout?" asked Troy pleasantly.

"Almost," grumbled Sharpay, still slightly bitter.

"She didn't get into Julliard," Chad supplied.

Gabriella and Taylor gasped simultaneously. "Oh, no!"

"It's okay," said Sharpay. "I'm gonna go to U of A with Chad."

"What!?" exclaimed Troy. "Jesus, I'm never going to escape you, Sharpay."

"Are you going there, too?"

"Yes."

She groaned. "If I didn't like Chad so much, I would sooo change schools."

Chad pulled her close. "But you do, so it's all good."

"And we all know that Gabriella is gonna go to Stanford," said Sharpay. "Oh, my gosh, I totally forgot. Ryan, did you get into NYU!?

"Yup!" Ryan nodded triumphantly.

"And I got into USC," announced Taylor.

"Oooh, yay, good job!" exclaimed Gabriella. "Taylor, we'll both be in sunny California! Except... Palo Alto isn't exactly sunny."

"What about you two?" Troy nodded over at Zeke and Jason.

"I got into Michigan State, where I have a scholarship to," said Zeke.

"And I'm going to San Diego State."

"Another Californian!" cheered Gabriella.

Chad nodded. "Wow. When Jason comes to visit, he'll actually have a tan."

There was a short silence between them all.

"Comes to visit..." Chad murmured.

"It's really happening, then," said Troy slowly. "College."

"Yeah," frowned Sharpay. "I've been so excited for so long... but now it's here, and I'm kind of scared."

"It's weird, not knowing what we'll be doing a year from now," said Gabriella. "Who our friends will be, if we'll still be in touch."

"We'll stay in touch," said Ryan quickly. "Right?" He looked around.

"Yeah," ventured Sharpay. "You guys turned out to be pretty good friends... strange as that is."

"A compliment from you is always laced with an insult," sighed Gabriella.

"I wanna stay in touch," Troy said. "Definitely."

"A little thing like college won't get in the way of that," agreed Taylor.

Jason looked downtrodden. "You guys are making me depressed to leave." He looked up, suddenly excited. "Let's skip college. Why don't we all just work at McDonald's together for the rest of our lives? We can hang out here after work everyday! It'll be awesome!"

"_Or_," said Gabriella, "We can go off to school and have a career."

"Well, I guess," scowled Jason.

* * *

**AN:** No matter how many times I redid this chapter, it always came out as blah.

And contrary to what you might think, I did not just think of Ryan and Taylor randomly while writing this chapter. My hints for them were incredibly subtle; so subtle, in fact, that one could probably pass over them without a second thought. More of their relationship will be revealed in the next chapter (as you probably could've guessed from reading below).

I'm going to give you all the benefit of the doubt and decide that reviews weren't working so well yesterday, hence I got so few. But if that happens again, I may have to put the next chapter up for ransom.

**UP NEXT:**

A surprising new couple rocks the group of friends.


	34. Girl Meets Boy

**AN:** **READ THIS.**

I am so sick of having to write this same, stupid AN over and over and over again. I am also sick of people asking questions that I address in AN's. Hence the bolded caps above.

Please, be patient with the whole Troy and Gabriella thing. Try to enjoy the story or the other couples without them dating. Yes, this story ends at chapter 40, but don't get antsy about T and G. You see how long my chapters are. There is PLENTY of time for T and G to get back together. And no matter how many reviews you submit complaining about them, this story is already written and I'm not going to change it around to fit your pleas. Not every freakin' Troy and Gabriella story has to be mindless fluff or stupid drama that just revolves around their relationship. Try something new for a change, where the other characters are given justice.

And this is not directed to the people who say "I can't wait for them to get back together" after leaving an otherwise nice review stating what they thought of the chapter, but the people who review simply to say "wher iz da troyellaz srsly mayn." I hope that the thought TROYELLATROYELLATROYELLA isn't the only thing going through your brain as you read this story. However, sadly for some, I believe that is true. One-track minds are unpleasant, but they do exist.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh or bitchy but I've gotten a ton of reviews about this subject since chapter 19 and even though I've answered it every five chapters or so, people are always afraid I've changed my mind or something. I wouldn't put TxG in the summary if it wasn't a Troyella.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Sunset Boulevard_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Girl Meets Boy_

Sharpay was pouring herself some cereal for breakfast one Saturday afternoon in April when the bell rang. Not knowing who it was but hoping for Chad to be there, she skipped over to the front door, and called throughout the house, mostly to their maid, "I'll get it!"

"Wait, no, Sharpay!" yelled Ryan, pounding down the stairs. "I got it!"

"Chill, Ryan, I can open a door," said Sharpay exasperatedly. She swung the front door open and perplexedly eyed Taylor. "Hi Taylor. I didn't know you were coming over."

"Oh," Taylor said, looking over Sharpay's shoulder at Ryan. He shrugged helplessly. Luckily, Sharpay didn't notice this interaction, and she continued to stare at Taylor, waiting for an answer. "Well, I just thought we could hang out or something."

"Okay." Sharpay stood back for her to step inside, before shutting the door. "I was just having breakfast and then I'm going to head over to Troy's."

"Sounds good." As Sharpay turned to lead Taylor into the kitchen, the latter glanced at Ryan with a distressed looked upon her face. He shrugged again, and followed them in. "Do you want anything?" Sharpay asked.

Taylor shook her head. "No, I'm good."

"Suit yourself." Sharpay shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. "Do you need something, Ryan?" she asked in a bitchy tone.

"Uh --" He glanced quickly at Taylor. "No."

"Then why are you here?"

"I live here."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Looking over at Taylor, she said, "I have no idea why he's being so weird."

Ryan glared as Taylor giggled.

Sharpay took a few more bites of her cereal before setting the bowl in the sink. "Let's go."

"I'm gonna wait a while," announced Ryan. "I have... a show I wanna watch."

"Whatever," said Sharpay again. She walked over to her front door and was about to open it when she glanced back at Taylor, who hadn't moved. "Are you coming?"

"Umm," she stammered. "You know, I think I left some clothes here the last time I slept over. How about I meet you at Troy's later?"

Sharpay shrugged. "Okay."

She left, and Ryan and Taylor sighed in relief. "Thank God."

"Nice job opening the door," said Taylor sarcastically.

"It's not my fault!" Ryan cried defensively. "I didn't know she'd be up this early."

"Ryan, it's ten in the morning."

"Exactly. Sharpay is _never_ up before eleven."

She shook her head. "Well, whatever, it's fine. She obviously didn't suspect anything."

He took her hand and squeezed it lightly.

* * *

"Hello," greeted Sharpay as she walked into Troy's den, where Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Jason, and Zeke were grouped around the bar.

"You're early," said Chad in surprise.

"Am I?" She looked around. "What are you guys doing?"

"Drinking." Chad held out a beer. "Want one?"

"It's, like, ten in the morning."

"Yes."

"And we're already drinking?"

"Well, it's our senior year, and we don't care."

Sharpay shrugged. "That's fine with me." She took a beer can and collapsed on the couch. "You guys... it's April," she announced randomly.

"Yes," said Gabriella, nodding. "Your point?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It's just... we graduate in, like, two months."

"And then we all go off to college," Gabriella finished.

"Come on, let's not talk about that now," said Chad, sitting down next to his girlfriend. "Even though I don't really have anything to worry about, because my best friend and girlfriend are going to school with me anyway."

Gabriella glared. "So we don't matter?"

"Nope, not really."

She swatted his head.

"I'm jay-kaying, Gabriella!"

"Did you just say 'jay-kaying?'" she asked, making a face.

"... no."

"Hey, where's your brother?" asked Troy, nodding at Sharpay.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "He said he wanted to watch a show or something. He's such a freak."

"Did he forget I own a TV?" asked Troy.

She shrugged. "Guess so."

"And... where's Taylor?" asked Gabriella.

"At my house."

"Why?"

"She said she left clothes there."

"Hm."

"What?" Sharpay asked of Gabriella, who shrugged.

"It just seems a little weird that she would stay at your house to look for 'clothes.'" she said, using air quotes. "How long does it take to find an article or two of clothing?"

"In Sharpay's closet?" laughed Chad.

"He's got a point," Sharpay said, nodding.

"Still. It's weird," said Gabriella, shrugging again.

Sharpay gasped loudly. "Oh, my gosh. What if she's... _stealing stuff from me_!?" She jumped up. "Let's go."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Sharpay, I'm sure she's not --"

"Please, Troy, I own a ton of expensive clothing that I'm sure that greedy bitch would be dying to get her dirty little fingers on them. So, let's go!" she repeated. She bustled out of the den, leaving the others.

"Should we go?" asked Chad aloud.

Gabriella sighed. "We don't really have anything else to do."

They all murmured words of agreement and slowly filed out of the den.

* * *

Sharpay led her five friends into the foyer of her house, shutting the door behind them as they glanced around. Zeke, Gabriella, and Chad looked unperturbed, but Troy and Jason, having never been inside her house before, glanced around with wide eyes. "Whoa," said Troy.

"_This_ is the house you come home to after school?" Jason said in awe.

"No, I go to Troy's," said Sharpay obviously. "But yes... my house is nice." She started to jog up the stairs. "Let's go catch Taylor in the act."

The other five followed her unenthusiastically to her room. Once inside, Sharpay looked around for Taylor, but frowned when she saw no sign of her. "Where the hell is she?" She walked into her closet, but emerged a moment later, still frowning. She even checked under her bed, but growled in annoyance.

"Maybe we passed her on the way here," suggested Zeke.

"No," Sharpay countered. "I know what her car looks like." She excited the room and led them down the hall toward Ryan's. "Maybe Ryan'll know."

She barged in without knocking on his door, and her jaw dropped.

Sitting on Ryan's bed were an embraced Ryan and Taylor, attached at the mouth.

Sharpay gaped. The two were too engrossed in each other's lips that they somehow hadn't heard Sharpay open the door. The rest of their friends came up behind her and peered over her shoulder to see why she had stopped.

"Oh, my God!" cried Gabriella.

The two teenagers finally sprang apart as if a jolt of electricity surged through them. They looked up in shock at their friends staring at them, mouths open, and grinned sheepishly.

"H-hi guys," said Taylor, attempting to sound casual. "What's up?"

"Oh, my God," Sharpay repeated Gabriella's words slowly. "Are you two --?"

"No!" the two said quickly.

"Yeah, and Zeke's not gay," scoffed Sharpay, her hands on her hips.

"Well, they might not technically be dating," reasoned Gabriella, stepping into the room after Sharpay. "If all they do it make out..."

"All Chad and I do is make out but we're dating," Sharpay reminded her.

"True."

Sharpay gasped loudly, pointing. "They're holding hands!"

Taylor and Ryan jerked their hands apart, blushing slightly.

Sharpay rushed forward and grabbed Taylor's arm. "Come. Now." She practically dragged said girl out of the room, calling for Gabriella over her shoulder. She led the two into her bedroom, slammed the door behind her, and said, "Tell us _everything_!"

"I-I don't know what --" stammered Taylor, but Sharpay cut in.

"Don't give us that crap," she said. She pushed Taylor so that she was on the bed, and sat down next to her, Gabriella on Taylor's other side. "How long has it been? How did this even happen?"

"Is Ryan a good kisser?" asked Gabriella curiously.

"Well, _that_ I don't need to know." Sharpay wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Oh, come on, Sharpay. Ryan has had to put up with talks of your sex life all the time. You can survive hearing about his kissing."

"Irregardless – Taylor, start talking!"

Taylor sighed. "Well... I don't really know where to start."

"The beginning would probably suffice the best," Sharpay suggested with an eyeroll.

"Thanks," said Taylor sarcastically. "But I don't even know where it began... I guess on the trip to Colorado."

"Three months ago!?" yelped Sharpay.

"We haven't been going out that long," Taylor said quickly. "But that's kinda when I first realized I liked him."

"Awww!" cooed Gabriella and Sharpay. "How'd you realize it?" asked Gabriella. "We want to know _everything_."

Taylor shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know... we were just kinda joking around while we were watching movies and I just had a really fun time with him, you know? I kinda found myself dreaming about how it would be for him to, like, hold my hand or... kiss me." She blushed.

"Aww!" they chorused again.

She smiled. "Yeah."

"Then what? When did he ask you out?"

"After Lila and Morris's wedding."

"Awww!"

"... stop that."

"Oh, my gosh, I remember you guys danced!" exclaimed Sharpay.

"When?" asked Gabriella, confused. "I don't remember that."

"That's because you got wasted and Troy had to take you home early," Sharpay reminded her. "But yeah, they danced once, near the end when most everyone had left."

"Yeah, after that he took me outside and asked me out."

"How come you didn't tell anyone?" asked Gabriella curiously. "When Chad asked you out, the first thing you did was run over to my house."

Taylor looked uncomfortable. "Um..."

"Uh oh, it's something bad," said Sharpay.

"Is not."

"Then tell us."

"Well... I was going to," Taylor said. "But then, I don't know, things just got complicated."

"How?"

"Not with me. With you guys."

"... huh?"

Taylor sighed. "Well, a few days after the wedding, you had your little fight with Troy over not remembering your anniversary, and I didn't want to bother you with my news."

"Bother me!?" repeated Gabriella in surprise. "You wouldn't have --"

"You know it would have," said Taylor. "No offense, Gabriella, but you had a tendency to get caught up in things."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that when something is bothering you, you don't really care about anything going on in other people's lives."

Gabriella stood up indignantly. "That is _not_ true, Taylor."

"It kind of is, actually." Taylor stood up too. "I tried giving you your space after you and Troy broke up, but after the whole anniversary crisis, I just didn't feel like you gave a fuck about anybody but yourself."

Gabriella's jaw dropped. "You _can't_ be --"

"To be fair," Sharpay cut in. "Gabriella helped Chad and I get together."

"Oh, great!" spat Taylor. "So, maybe it's just that she doesn't give a fuck about me!" She turned on her heel and stomped out of Sharpay's room, thumping loudly down the stairs, and leaving the house, slamming the door loudly behind herself.

Gabriella was fuming. "Can you believe her!?" she demanded angrily.

"Well... actually, yeah," said Sharpay.

"... _what_!?" cried Gabriella. "You're on her side?"

Sharpay put up her hands in defense. "I'm on no one's side."

"It's impossible to not be on someone's side."

"Yes it is, because you both have valid points."

"Oh yeah?" scoffed Gabriella. "What's her point, then?"

"Well, during the whole Troy thing, you did kinda become conceited."

"No, I didn't! And... even if I did, so what? Did I not have a right to be depressed during my breakup?"

Sharpay shrugged. "Sure, you have the right. But there's a difference to being depressed and making the world revolve around you."

Gabriella frowned. "Didn't you yell at me about this once? On New Years Eve?"

"Yeah. But I guess it didn't work."

"But – I didn't bother you with it, did I?"

"No, but when you were upset, everyone else knew about it. But don't take it too personally," she added quickly. "Troy was like that too. When you went out with that Jacob kid, we spent the entire day talking about your relationship."

Gabriella furrowed her brow and sat down. "Still. Taylor is being ridiculous. I so would've cared if she told me about her and Ryan."

Sharpay shrugged. "Hindsight is twenty-twenty."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gabriella asked again.

"Just like it sounds. Look, by the sound of it, when Taylor and Ryan started dating, you were still totally wrapped up in your own self-pity about the breakup. So she probably just go annoyed and felt left out."

"How would that make her feel left out?"

"Well... I'm probably to blame for that too," confessed Sharpay. "I've been really selfish... what with me and Chad."

Gabriella paused, biting her lip. "I guess we both kind of left her out."

"Yeah."

Gabriella flung herself back onto Sharpay's bed. "I can't believe I didn't realize it before! Taylor and I haven't _really_ talked in, like, forever. I'm such a horrible friend; she couldn't even feel comfortable telling me about her boyfriend because I kept thinking about myself."

"Yeah, you have been, you bitch," Sharpay spat.

Narrowing her eyes, Gabriella said, "Excuse me? Didn't you just say that you've been kind of ignoring her too?"

"I only said that to make you feel better. You're still the bigger bitch. She thinks you guys are best friends, after all."

"She _thinks_?"

"Well, you and I are clearly the closer of friends."

Gabriella scorned her words. "Not."

"We are so! Gabriella, I consider you a very dear friend to me." She placed her right hand dramatically over her heart. "A best friend, actually."

"You just called me a bitch."

"Best friends are brutally honest."

Before their banter could continue further, Ryan stuck his head into the room. "Was that my girlfriend who stormed out of here?"

"Girlfriend!" squealed the two girls excitedly. "Oh wait... she's mad at me," remembered Gabriella.

"She told you?" Ryan asked.

"You knew!?" Sharpay exclaimed.

Ryan nodded. "Yeah. She told me everything. About how you two never care about what's going on in her life anymore, and --"

"I guess you were right," sighed Gabriella to Sharpay.

"I usually am," Sharpay said conceitedly.

Gabriella stood up. "Well, I guess I should thank you then, Ryan."

"Why?"

"Because while Sharpay and I have been so focused on ourselves these past couple of months, you've been there for Taylor."

"Well, I try."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. I feel so horrible."

"Yeah, you made her pretty miserable."

"Thanks," said Gabriella sarcastically.

"So, I should probably go and find her then." Ryan made to leave, but Gabriella stopped him.

"No, we should probably go," said Gabriella, motioning to herself and Sharpay. "We're the ones she's pissed at."

"Me?" whined Sharpay. "I did my good deed for the day. I helped you realize how vain you are. Can't I just go make out with Chad now?"

"No," said Gabriella shortly. She grabbed her blonde friend's hand and dragged her down the stairs and out of the house with her.

They stepped outside, but then stopped. "How are we supposed to know where she is?" asked Sharpay.

"Well, she probably wouldn't answer if we called," Gabriella said.

"I remember, when I found out Zeke cheated on me, I went into the backyard," Sharpay announced.

Gabriella looked unimpressed with her news. "I'm happy for that."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "I did it because I figured everyone would leave and not look back there. Maybe Taylor is in my backyard." She led Gabriella through her side gate and into the backyard. The two glanced around and quickly spotted Taylor, sitting with her back up against the wall of Sharpay's house. She glanced up at the sound of their footsteps, but quickly looked away when she saw who it was.

"I told you," said Sharpay smugly. "Man, I'm on a roll today."

Gabriella ignored Sharpay's comments and sat down so she was facing Taylor head-on. "Hi."

"Hello," mumbled Taylor. She sighed, and said, "Look... I'm sorry."

"No, _I'm_ sorry. I can totally tell where you're coming from. I've been a self-absorbed asshole these past couple of months."

Taylor nodded. "Yeah, you kinda have."

Gabriella raised her eyes to the sky, but laughed lightly. "I have. I'm so sorry I haven't been there for you. But at least you had Ryan, right?"

Taylor smiled shyly. "Yeah. He's been great." She looked up at Sharpay, and Gabriella followed her gaze.

"Don't _you_ have something to say?" prodded Gabriella.

Sharpay made an annoyed sound in her throat, but plopped down next to Gabriella as well and said, "I'm sorry, too."

"Even though you don't really sound like you are... I know you are," said Taylor. "So thanks. But I _am_ sorry too, for keeping all this bottled up for so long and then bitching at you so suddenly."

"Yeah, it would've been nice if that could have been prevented." Gabriella nodded. "But it's all good."

Sharpay took a sharp intake of breath suddenly. "Oh, my gosh. Did _Ryan_ get you those flowers on Valentines Day?"

Taylor nodded, and Sharpay squealed in delight.

"Aww, so cute! Did you know?"

"Yeah, but I didn't want to tell you. Remember, Valentines Day is when you were feeling bad for yourself for not getting anything."

Sharpay frowned. "God, I feel like such an ass."

"You should," said Taylor conversationally.

"There they are!" came a shout, and the girls jumped. The five boys came into the backyard through the same route Gabriella and Sharpay had taken. Chad, who'd spoken, reached them first. "We wondered where you went."

"Sorry. Taylor was being all dramatic and ran off," said Sharpay, standing up.

"Hey, I remember the last time I was in here," Troy said. "The girls were sunbathing topless."

Chad's face split into a smile. "Oh yeah. Gabriella looked hot."

Sharpay pushed him. "Um, hello."

"Well, she did! And I didn't even look at you... probably one of my biggest regrets. But I thought I was repulsed by you back then. Hence... I stared at Gabriella's boobs."

She narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, well... I had sex with Zeke that day."

Chad stared. "Not funny."

"It so is funny."

"Not."

"Yes, it is, because Zeke turned out to be gay."

Chad thought her statement over. "Well, I guess that's alright then." He nodded.

"You know what would be funny?" said Zeke suddenly, hovering behind Taylor.

"What?"

"If the girls all somehow fell in the pool."

Sharpay opened her mouth. "Um, so _not_ funny!" she countered.

"So very funny," he said. He wrapped his arms around Taylor's waist and began carrying her over to the pool. Said girl shrieked and struggled against his grip.

"Let go! I am not laughing! Ryaa-aaan!"

Ryan was trying to stifle his laughter. "Sorry, Zeke'll beat me up."

"_I'll_ beat you up, you --" Her statement was cut off as she was tossed into the pool. Troy took advantage of the situation to pick up Gabriella and bring her over to the pool.

"Don't you dare," said Gabriella warningly.

Troy smirked. "Or what? We're not dating. You can't threaten to cut me off or anything." With a pleasant smile, he threw her into the pool too.

Sharpay glared at Chad. "You better not."

Chad glanced around fearfully. "I really don't think I should," he said, worried. "Sharpay can kick really hard in some sensitive places."

"Well, I can!" Jason grabbed Sharpay around the middle and followed the same path Zeke and Troy had taken.

"Stop groping my girlfriend!" said Chad in annoyance.

"Okay." Jason dropped her in the water.

By now, all three girls were sopping wet and glaring at the boys, their makeup running down their cheeks. They got out of the pool, their feet squelching in their shoes, and looked murderously at the boys.

"Funny, huh?" laughed Ryan nervously, but Taylor was glaring at him.

"Come on, lighten up!" Zeke probed.

The girls exchanged evil looks. "Oh, we'll lighten up," said Sharpay dangerously. "I don't know if you've noticed, but you're in between us and the water."

The guys suddenly looked at each other desperately, and before they could react, the three girls rushed forward and pushed them all into the pool.

The girls ran away, giggling, and grabbed all the beach towels that were outside. They then slipped inside the house and locked the door, watching the boys predicament.

The five guys stepped out of the pool, annoyed, and walked to the back door. When they realized, however, that it was locked, they glared.

"Open up!" yelled Troy, pounding on the glass.

"What?" Gabriella shouted back. "Troy, I can't hear you!"

"Unlock the door!"

"You wanna walk home?" Taylor said loudly. "Well, that might not be such a good idea 'cause you're all _wet_."

The guys glowered.

"If you insist!" giggled Sharpay, and they walked away, leaving the boys shivering outside.

* * *

**UP NEXT:**

Gabriella's father returns.


	35. Gotta Be Something Better Than This

**AN:** :) I'm in love with you all, my reviewers. I don't know what exactly caused a ton of people to start reviewing around chapter 26, but I'm loving it.

Also, please nominate your favorites stories and authors in the HSM Fanfiction Awards: Take 3! There's a link in my profile. :)

The chapter title comes from the musical _Sweet Charity_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This_

Gabriella was in her kitchen one Sunday morning, making herself some buttered toast before heading over to Troy's. Her mother was in the living room, blasting Crank That Soulja Boy on the stereo while she dusted, stopping every once in a while to do the dance. Gabriella had long since gotten over the fact that her mother liked to, embarrassingly, listen to modern rap music, but it still made her scowl to see Maria dancing in front of the wide open window.

The toaster _ding_ed, and Gabriella quickly wolfed her food down. "Going to Troy's. Bye, Mom!" Gabriella said to her mother as she strode to the front door. She opened it, but froze when she saw someone standing there.

The man on her front porch was wearing baggy jeans and an AC/DC shirt – he looked as if he wore those clothes in an attempt to look hip. He should meet her mother.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Gabi, is someone at the door?" her mother called.

The man smiled widely. "Gabi!" He bent forward and swept her up in a big bear hug, and Gabriella stood rigidly.

When he set her down, she stammered, "Wh-who are you?"

Maria appeared at Gabriella's elbow and gasped. "Nicholas!"

Gabriella whipped around. "You mean my _dad_, Nicholas!?"

"Gabriella, you don't recognize me?" asked the man called Nicholas.

"Well... I haven't seen you since I was eight," she reminded him, but she was grinning like crazy.

Nicholas sighed. "I know. I guess I share some of that blame."

"Some of the blame?" spat Maria. "You left us."

"I left you, not her."

Gabriella looked back and forth between them. "Uh... Dad..." she stuttered, feeling the word roll of her tongue strangely. "Do you wanna come in?"

Nicholas smiled. "Sure, honey." He side-stepped his ex-wife and entered the house. "Nice place you have here, Maria. Not as nice as our place back in San Francisco, but it'll do."

"Well, with only one income, it's harder to buy a big house," said Maria irritably.

Gabriella ignored her mom and followed her dad into the living room. "Do you want someone to eat or drink?" she asked eagerly.

"Sure, I'll have a beer," accepted Nicholas, and Gabriella bustled out of the kitchen to get it for him.

When she returned a moment later, she caught her mother saying, "... do this to her."

Nicholas looked up when he heard Gabriella's footsteps and cried, "Ah, thanks, honey!" He seemed to take no heed to her mother's words, and Maria glared at him.

"So, Dad, how have you been?" Gabriella, unlike most children would be, had not been angry with her father when he left. She'd instead been mad at her mother because she thought she'd chased him away, something her mother did not deny. She also knew that her mother had refused to let her father have joint custody of her – those two things served as a barrier between Gabriella and Maria, and the two had never been able to break through it.

"You know, working to make ends meet," he said casually. Gabriella nodded interestedly. Everything her father said was like law to her.

"Where are you living now?"

"Down in Santa Fe."

"Really!?" squealed Gabriella. "That's close!"

Her father nodded. "That it is, baby doll."

Gabriella smiled at the nickname her father had christened her with when she was a child. Hearing the phrase made her realize how much she'd missed him over the years. "We have so much to catch up on," said Gabriella giddily.

Nicholas stood up quickly. "Then let's get to it! What do you say I take you out for breakfast?"

Gabriella beamed. "Really?"

"Of course!"

"Okay, then, let's go."

"Wait, Gabi," her mother said, and Gabriella turned around.

She was not interested in anything her mother had to say; the agitation over her parent's divorce had always been there, just right below the surface, and now that her dad was back, it was boiling over.

"I'll call you later tonight," said Gabriella shortly, leading her father out of the house. Once outside and in his car, she remarked on how nice it was. She didn't know anything about car types, but she did know a nice one when she saw one.

"Thanks, she's my pride and joy," smiled Nicholas, starting it and pulling away from their house. "So, where should we go? I don't know the area very well."

"Well, there's a Denny's about five minutes away," Gabriella suggested. She whipped out her phone and began typing out a text message.

"Sounds like a plan." He saw Gabriella texting out of the corner of her eye, and asked, "Talking to a boyfriend?"

Gabriella giggled. "No, just a friend of mine. I'm telling her that I won't be over until later."

"How does my beautiful doll not have a boyfriend?"

She shrugged. "Well, I did have a boyfriend for almost a year, but we broke up. We're still friends, though."

"He still likes you."

Gabriella blinked. "Um. How do you know that?"

"Whenever a guy stays in contact with an ex, it's because he wants to get back together with her. Or he wants to have sex with her. If you're anything like me, you had sex with him."

"Uh – I --" she stammered uncomfortably.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," said her father. "Don't worry, I won't tell your mother."

"Well, she knew."

"Oh."

They pulled into the parking lot of the same Denny's Gabriella went to on her eighteenth birthday, and she led her dad inside to a booth.

"Kinda dingy place, isn't it?"

Gabriella frowned. "It's not _that_ bad."

"I guess it depends on your standards," said her father off-handedly, grabbing his menu and looking over it. A few minutes later, the two ordered, and then sat in an awkward silence.

Her father finally broke it by saying, "Gabriella, I need to know something."

"Sure. What?"

"Well... what did your mother tell you about me?"

"... what do you mean?"

"About our divorce. You know. I just want to know if she told you any lies," he added quickly. "I don't want you to have the wrong idea of me."

"Oh." Gabriella nodded in understanding. "Well... she just told me that it didn't work out between you two and that you two got divorced."

He sighed, seemingly in relief. "What about the custody situation?"

"She said that she wouldn't let you have me, at all," said Gabriella, scowling at the thought.

"You know I would've fought for you, baby," Nicholas told her. "But after the divorce, I didn't have enough money to take your mother to court. You know that, right?"

Gabriella smiled. "Yeah, I do."

He nodded. "Good."

Gabriella's phone suddenly rang, and she pulled it out of her pocket, seeing Sharpay's name flash on the screen. She excused herself and went into the bathroom, flipping open her phone. "Hel --"

"YOUR DAD'S BACK!?" came a familiar shriek.

"Yes," said Gabriella patiently.

"I thought your dad was _dead_!"

"Why would you think that?" Gabriella asked, surprised.

"Well, you never talk about him," Sharpay said. "No one knew anything about him!"

"Troy knew about him," said Gabriella.

"_You _knew about her dad?" exclaimed Sharpay accusatorily to someone, and Gabriella heard Troy's faint voice.

"He wasn't supposed to tell anyone," Gabriella added. "He promised."

"All promises are broken once you break up," Sharpay told her.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "That's so not true. Tell Troy thanks."

"She says 'thanks,'" Sharpay grumbled, and then to Gabriella, she said, "_So_!? How's it going?"

"It's good," said Gabriella earnestly. "I'm so glad he's back. I still can't believe my mom didn't want me to see him. I'm so pissed at her."

"Yeah, what's up with that?"

Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know. But maybe now that I'm older I can see him more. He lives in Santa Fe."

"Is he hot?"

"... are you kidding?"

"What the hell!?" came a yell from Chad.

"Sorry, sorry!" said Sharpay exasperatedly. "Geez, it's just a question. Don't freak out."

"Look, I gotta go," said Gabriella. "I left my dad out there. I'll be over later."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

Gabriella hung up her phone and slipped it into her pocket as she made her way back to the booth where her dad was. He, too, was on the phone, and, upon seeing Gabriella, he quickly said something to whomever he was talking to and hung up. "There's my girl!"

She smiled bashfully as she took her seat again. "Sorry about that."

"It's no problem," he said dismissively. "Look, I have something to ask you."

Nodding, Gabriella said, "Okay, go ahead."

"I was wondering if you could ask your mother to give me joint custody of you."

She furrowed her brow. "Dad, I'm eighteen."

"Are you? Oh." He paused. "Well, do you think maybe you could call me or something? A couple times?"

"Of course! I can visit you, too, you know," she offered. "I have a car, and it'll be summer soon."

"No, you don't have to do that."

She frowned. "Oh... okay."

"You see, my girlfriend, Kristin – when she found out I had a daughter, she wanted to know why I didn't spend any time with you." He shrugged. "I guess she wants to see my sensitive side or something. So I told her I'd come down to see you," he explained.

Gabriella swallowed. "Why... uh, why didn't she come down too?"

"Oh, she had school."

Her jaw dropped. "_School_!?"

"No, no, don't worry!" he said quickly. "She's twenty."

Her mouth was still hanging open. "And I'm eighteen. Does she know your daughter is two years younger than her?" she questioned harshly.

He shrugged. "It's not that important."

"It'll be important when I show up to your house!"

"You don't have to!" he assured her. "If you just call and she can see that I keep in contact with you, it should be fine. You may have to come visit if worse comes to worse, though."

"Worse comes to worse?"

"Yeah, you know, worse case scenario," he repeated, misinterpreting her question. "So, what do ya say?"

"Well... I mean, I guess I could ask my mom..."

"Thanks, sweetie!" He took out his wallet and placed a $20 bill on the table.

"Are you going somewhere?" asked Gabriella.

"Yeah, I actually have to go take care of something," he said, standing up.

"But – we haven't even eaten yet."

He waved her comment off. "I'm not that hungry anyway. Do you want me to take you somewhere?"

She shook her head slowly. "No... that's okay."

Nicholas smiled. "Okay." He patted her on the head, as if she was a dog. "I'll come over later?"

Gabriella nodded, and he exited the restaurant.

She stared at the door, long after he'd disappeared through it, her mind blank. She only was ripped out of her reverie by their waitress returning, holding their breakfasts and looking annoyed. "Does that money mean you're leaving?" she asked irritably.

Gabriella looked up at her. "Oh... yeah. Sorry." She stood up and brushed passed her, leaving the restaurant with her hands deep inside her coat pockets.

* * *

Gabriella walked the entire way to Troy's house, which was luckily only a few miles away from the Denny's she'd been at, and entered his den quietly.

At first, her appearance went unnoticed, as the rest of her friends were busy stacking empty beer cans into the shape of a pyramid on Troy's pool table. They were all deathly silent – which she didn't mind – and watched on breathlessly as Zeke, the tallest of them, attempted to place the last can on the top. But at the worst possible moment, Ryan sneezed just as Zeke was placing the can. The sudden noise made Zeke jump, which, in turn, caused the entire pyramid to crumble. Ryan grinned sheepishly as everyone glared at him.

"Nice job," said Taylor, swatting him.

"Sorry!" he cried defensively. "I can't control my nose!"

Sharpay rolled her eyes and looked over, finally spying Gabriella. "You're here!" she exclaimed. She jumped over the couch and sat herself down next to her friend. "Sooo?"

"So what?"

"How'd breakfast go?"

"Oh... good, I guess," she said vaguely. "I'm probably going to visit him sometime."

"That's great!" said Taylor, sitting down by Sharpay. "... right?" she asked, eyeing Gabriella's expression.

"Yes!" snapped Gabriella suddenly. "Why wouldn't it be? He's my dad, after all. I'm ecstatic, as would be expected."

Taylor and Sharpay exchanged glances. "Okay..." they said cautiously.

"Is something bothering you?" asked Troy. He was standing behind the couch and leaning forward so that his elbows were supporting him, right in between Sharpay and Gabriella's heads.

She narrowed her eyes. "Why do you think something's bothering me? Does it _look_ like something's bothering me?"

"Yes," Ryan cut in.

She pursed her lips. "Well, nothing is. I'm totally fine. I saw my dad for the first time in ten years today. I'm ecstatic."

"Yeah, you said that already," Chad reminded her.

"Why is everyone on my case!?" she cried, jumping up.

"Whoa, whoa," said Troy, holding his hands up defensively and standing up straight. "No one is on your case."

"Yes, you are! What's with the twenty questions?" She turned on her heel and stormed out of the den, slamming the door behind her.

There was a pause.

"... I think something's bothering her," said Jason.

* * *

Gabriella, during her walk from Troy's house to her own, had long since calmed down, and instead despair flooded her body. Her father didn't really want her. She couldn't deny that anymore. He only wanted to see her to please his current girlfriend. She shuddered. Her father was dating a girl two years older than her. The thought almost caused her to keel over and throw up in her bushes.

She sighed as she opened her front door. She didn't want to mess up her father's relationship, so she figured she might as well take him up on his offer. If she was responsible for his breakup, he would hate her even more. She found her mother in the kitchen, for once sitting in complete silence, and said, "I'm gonna call Dad a few times."

"Gabriella!" her mother exclaimed, standing up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" said Gabriella, perhaps a little too quickly. "I just want to spend more time with my father, something _you_ never let me do."

"Something has upset you," said Maria, ignoring her comments. She led Gabriella over to the table and sat her down, before sitting herself in the chair next to her. "Please... just, tell me what your father said." Her lower lip was trembling. "You never tell me anything. Just tell me this."

Gabriella swallowed. Seeing her mother on the verge of tears made her realize how much Nicholas's return had hurt her, but she didn't want to let her mother see her cry. She didn't even know where to start, until someone else's voice spilled out of her mouth, "I thought he wanted me."

Maria let out a sob and gathered her daughter in her arms, hugging her tightly. The lump in Gabriella's throat was painful with held-in tears. "I'm so sorry, Gabi... I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," choked Gabriella, pulling back. "It's his. He wants me to start calling him, Mom... to impress his girlfriend. His twenty-year-old girlfriend." She laughed bitterly.

Maria shook her head and rolled her wet eyes to the ceiling. "He's downgrading."

Gabriella blinked. "What do you mean?"

Maria realized her slip-up, and gaped at her daughter. "I --"

"I told you. Now you have to tell me."

The older woman stared at her daughter and saw in her eyes that she was serious. Maria took a deep breath, and started slowly, "Your father and I... we divorced because of his affairs."

Gabriella didn't say anything for a moment. The simple statement caused countless questions to erupt in her mind, but the only thought that made itself heard was, "... affairs? As in plural?"

Maria nodded tearfully.

"But... but why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to hate him," she said in a high voice. "I didn't want you to hate your father... so I let you hate me."

Gabriella suddenly felt horrible. She was at her lowest of lows; the woman that she had blamed for her parents split had only been trying to protect her father's integrity, even though he didn't deserve it at all. "Mom..." she started, before finally collapsing into tears.

Maria hugged her close again and ran her hand over the back Gabriella's head. "It's okay."

"No... it's not, I've been mad at you for ten whole years... and you didn't even do anything wrong..."

"Gabi, it's okay. You're my daughter. I still love you."

Gabriella pulled back suddenly, her cheeks tear-stained, and said, "Is there anything you else you have to tell me?" she asked. "I want you to get it all in the open now. I don't care about Nicholas."

"But – he's your father."

"No. He's a sperm donor."

"Oh, Gabriella... he was such a great father when you were younger."

Gabriella half-shrugged. "I don't care. He cheated on you and then left you to pick up all the pieces. I feel nothing for him. But just... tell me everything else."

Maria frowned deeply. "I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"I don't think I can be."

"Gabi..."

"Tell me, Mom."

Maria gulped. "Well, your father... Nicholas... when he left us... I didn't keep you from him. He signed away custody of you."

Gabriella was wrong; the words sliced a deeper cut into her already fairly large wound. More tears splashed down her face and she put her face in her hands, breathing in deeply. Her mother caressed her arm, whispering, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want you to ever know the truth about him."

Looking up again, Gabriella half-smiled. "It's okay, Mom. I mean, I'll get over it, soon." She took a shaky breath. "And I'm glad I know. I spent so much time and energy being mad at you over this... I'm glad you told me. Now I don't have to be mad at you anymore."

Maria gave her daughter a watery smile. "Oh, Gabriella." She hugged her daughter tightly for a third time, and this time, they stayed in each others arms for a long time, only being broken apart by a knock on the door.

The painful lump returned to Gabriella's throat. "That's D – Nicholas."

"Stay here." Maria stood up and marched to the front door. As much as Gabriella didn't want to see him, she couldn't control herself, and she followed her mom.

Nicholas stood is the threshold, beaming. He caught sight of Gabriella and said, "So, did you two talk it over? Gonna give me a call, baby doll?"

Gabriella's face turned red in fury.

"What makes you think you can speak to her?" challenged Maria menacingly, and Gabriella forgot to be angry for a second. Never in her life had she seen her mother that pissed.

"I have every right to talk to her," Nicholas retaliated.

"You have no right," Maria clarified. "You think you can waltz in here after ten years and expect me to let you use _my_ daughter so you can get a good fuck?"

Nicholas flushed. "How dare --"

"No, how dare you," seethed Maria. "I have spent all this time lying to cover your ass, but I will not stand by and let you hurt her anymore than you already have." She slammed the door in his face so hard that the whole house shook.

"Wow, Mom," said Gabriella finally. "You're a badass!" She smiled slightly as Maria turned around, her eyebrow cocked up. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too," Maria said, smiling sadly as she tucked a strand of Gabriella's hair behind her ear. "And I'm sorry you have a father like that."

"Me too."

"But at least you have some great friends," she grinned, looking over Gabriella's head. Gabriella, confused, turned around and glanced out the window, seeing Troy, Chad, Zeke, Ryan, Jason, Taylor, and Sharpay shouting at Nicholas as he attempted to drive away. Once he was finally able to get passed them, Chad threw a shoe at the car.

Gabriella ran outside and called, "What are you guys doing!?"

"We had a feeling your dad pissed you off," explained Sharpay. "And please tell us we're right, because it would be totally awkward at your wedding if we aren't."

"No, you are."

"Have you been crying?" asked Taylor in concern.

Gabriella wiped her eyes. "A little, but I'm good now."

The boys finally reached them, Chad putting the shoe that he'd thrown at Nicholas back on his foot. "Sorry about that."

"Sorry your dad's an ass," said Troy.

"At least, we think he's an ass," Chad added. "We're right... right?"

She nodded again and laughed. "Yeah, you are." She frowned again, biting her lip. Thinking about him caused her heart to sear.

Sharpay saw her expression and grabbed her hand. "Come on, we'll cheer you up."

"What?" Gabriella yelped. Sharpay led her back into her house, up the stairs, and into her room, the other six following.

"Hmm... let's see..." Sharpay browsed through Gabriella's iPod, looking for a song. "Perfect!" She pressed play on the iPod, which, in its stereo, loudly projected the song Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses loudly for them all to hear.

"... is this really the song we should be listening to right now?" asked Troy over the music.

"This song can cheer _anybody_ up!" Sharpay responded. She pulled Gabriella up onto the bed with her and started jumping up and down wildly. "Come on, Gabriella!" she urged of the other girl, who wasn't moving.

Gabriella couldn't help but smile at the sight of her blonde friend crazily jumping. "Sharpay, how is this --"

"You won't know until you try it!" she shouted, and sang along, "_She's got a smile that it seems to me, reminds me of childhood memories!_ Come on, everyone!"

Taylor shrugged nonchalantly and clambered onto the bed too, and started to jump and sing as well. "_Now and then when I see her face, she takes me away to that special place._"

"_And if I stare too long, I'd probably break down and cry_," sang Troy, climbing onto the bed too. He grabbed Gabriella's hand and started to jump lightly. She giggled at him, and started to jump a little too.

The other four boys looked at each other awkwardly, but a few minutes later Chad was on the bed as well, joining hands with Sharpay. "_She's got eyes of the bluest skies, as if they thought of rain!_"

Ryan appeared next to Taylor, yelling more than singing, "_I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain!_"

Zeke and Jason glanced at each other and sighed, shrugging in a 'what the hell?' sort of way. They managed to squeeze onto the bed too. "_Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place where as a child I'd hide, and pray for the thunder and the rain, to quietly pass me by!_"

"I feel so gay right now!" shouted Chad.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Zeke, but it's true."

Sharpay pushed her boyfriend, and he almost fell off the bed. "Shut up! We're doing this for Gabriella!"

Gabriella was, in fact, beaming, jumping around like a maniac. Sure, they were acting like cheesy five-year-old's, but their cheesy five-year-old selves were making Gabriella feel a hell of a lot better. "_Oooh, oh, oh, oh, sweet love of mine_!" She and Troy were still holding hands, and he seemed unperturbed by the fact that they were jumping around like children.

"I love you guys so much!" shouted Gabriella over the deafening music. "This totally make up for not having a dad!"

"Anytime!" Troy responded.

"Well, I don't know about you," began Chad loudly, "but this is _not_ an anytime thing. This is more like a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

Troy rolled his eyes. "For me, it's anytime."

She smiled at him. "Thanks."

For a group of guys who claimed to only be doing what they were doing to help a friend, they had no problem joining in with the girls, "_Yeah, whoa, oh, oh, oh, sweet child of mine! Oh, oh, oh, sweet love of mine! Whoa, oh, oh, oh, sweet child of mine! Ooh, yeah! Oooh, sweet love of mine!_"

* * *

**AN:** I think this is, perhaps, my best written chapter as of yet. I really liked how emotional I got – probably the most dramatic and emotional the story has been so far – and the mother-daughter connection between Gabriella and Maria. I also liked giving Maria some depth – she's not just a rap loving striving-to-be-cool mother. The ending was immensely corny, yes. I apologize for that, but I thought it was a cute thing they could do for Gabriella.

Also – God help me – I'm about 70 percent sure that I will write a short follow-up to this story. -deep sigh- Details later, perhaps.

Bee-tee-double-you: I highly recommend the song "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Gun n' Roses. It's one of my favorites of all time.

**UP NEXT:**

As per usual with the group, Prom does not go as expected.


	36. The Moments of Happiness

**AN:** Longest.Chapter.Ever.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Cats_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_The Moments of Happiness_

"You guys, I am _so _excited for Prom," said Sharpay for the millionth time. No one even bothered to respond anymore. They simply ignored her and continued watching TV. Not a fan of being ignored, Sharpay hit Chad's arm and said, "Did you buy a red tie like I told you to?"

Chad looked at his girlfriend with wide eyes and an open mouth. "You said _red_? I bought purple."

Sharpay looked murderous. "A PURPLE TIE WILL NOT MATCH MY RED DRESS!" she roared. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU MIX UP RED AND PURPLE?"

Suddenly, Chad laughed. "I'm just kidding. Yes, I bought a red tie."

Sharpay backhanded him on his face. "That was so not funny."

Chad rubbed his nose irritably. "How am I dating a girl with no sense of humor?"

"I have a sense of humor, just not when it comes to Prom." She turned to Gabriella. "Are you excited to go with Jacob?"

Jacob, the same boy that Gabriella had gone out with once, had, surprisingly, asked her to Prom. Gabriella didn't exactly want to go with him, especially since they hadn't talked much since their awkward date, but she decided to say yes. After all, she wanted a date to her senior prom.

Gabriella shrugged. "I guess. I mean, he's nice. I just hope that he talks more. And if he doesn't, at least you guys'll be there this time." She looked at Troy and asked politely, "What's Sarah wearing?"

"I think.. yellow... or something." He frowned. "All I know is my tie is white."

"You don't what color her dress is?" scoffed Taylor. "Ryan knows what color mine is... right?"

"Green."

"See?"

"Well, you guys _are_ dating," Troy reminded her. "I'm not going out with Sarah."

"Yet," said Sharpay.

"Or never."

"Why not?"

He raised his shoulders. "I don't know."

They were silent for a few moments, focusing in on the television, until Sharpay cried suddenly, "I can't until Prom Queen is announced!"

Everyone groaned. "You've been talking about this all week," complained Jason.

Sharpay pouted. "Because everyone's gonna vote for you!" She pointed at Gabriella, who perked up.

"Really?"

"You're happy?" growled Sharpay.

"Why not? Being Prom Queen would be fun." She grinned.

"Fun. _Fun_!? It is not _fun_ – it is my mission in life!" exclaimed Sharpay dramatically.

"Uh, oh," said Chad, annoyed. "Bitchy Sharpay is back."

"Bitchy Sharpay is always around," Taylor reminded him.

"Oh, yeah. I mean, spoiled Sharpay."

Sharpay frowned. "My mom has been telling me to vie for Prom Queen since I was... seven."

"Really?" Chad scowled.

"Yeah."

Chad kissed her temple. "Tell your mom to shut the fuck up. You don't have to be Prom Queen."

Sharpay pouted. "But I want to."

"Well, may the best man – uh, woman – win," said Gabriella.

Making a face, Sharpay said, "Whatever." She pulled out her phone and checked the time. "Oh, my gosh, I gotta go get ready."

"Sharpay... Prom is _tomorrow_," Gabriella reminded her.

"So? We have to start now," said Sharpay obviously.

"We?"

"If you're going to be in my group, you have to look good." She stood up and strode to the door, gesturing for Gabriella and Taylor to follow her. "Come on! Tonight is facials and mani-pedi's. Oh, and deep conditioning. And exfoliating. And shaving."

"Anything else?" asked Taylor dryly.

"I'll tell you if I think of it. Let's go!"

"Fine, fine."

The two girls got up and reluctantly followed Sharpay out of the den.

Silence. "So..."

Jason turned to Zeke suddenly. "Are you taking a dude to Prom?"

Zeke cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Uh..."

"That's a yes!"

"You've got balls," nodded Chad.

"So wait... who gets the corsage?" smirked Ryan.

Zeke rolled his eyes. "Funny. We're both buying boutonnieres."

"Who is it?"

"Michael Duff."

"... he's gay?" repeated Jason dubiously.

"Are you kidding?" asked Chad. "That guy is so gay it's not even funny. Queer eye was _made_ for him."

"What about you?" Troy asked Jason. "Aren't you going with a blonde?"

Jason nodded giddily. "Yeah. Angela. I hope I can do it with her."

"Ooooh, maybe," Chad said sarcastically. "I'm sure most girls would love to deflower you in a hotel bathroom."

* * *

"So, Gabriella," said Sharpay as she gave Taylor a French manicure. "What do you think about Troy going with Sarah?" 

Gabriella shrugged. "She's nice."

"What if he goes out with her?"

"He said he didn't want to," Taylor told the blonde.

"He might change his mind." Sharpay rolled her eyes indisputably. "Well?" she prodded Gabriella. "What would you do?"

"I'd be happy for him," said Gabriella sincerely. "Really," she added at Sharpay's doubtful expression. "Troy and I are not dating. I want him to get out there."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do," sighed Gabriella. "Come on, you're still doing this? We broke up four months ago."

"Yeah, leave her alone," Taylor agreed. Sharpay shrugged innocently.

"I can voice my opinion."

"I can voice mine too. And it wants you to shut up."

* * *

"Pictures! Gather 'round!" 

Like with Homecoming, the entire group met up at Sharpay and Ryan's house and, again, a professional photographer was hired. The twelve of them – with Jacob, Sarah, Jason's date Angela, and Zeke's date Michael – were congregated in the front yard, waiting for their limo to take them to dinner.

"Let's get a group photo," said the photographer. He stepped forward and lined everyone up, putting his hands up to signal for them to stand still. He snapped a few pictures before popping his head up again. "You, right there, in the pink." He pointed.

"Me?" said Gabriella, indicating herself.

"Yeah, you. Isn't your date him?" He gestured at Jacob.

Gabriella nodded slowly. "Yes..."

"Well, you're leaning towards him." He nodded at Troy, and Gabriella blushed. She hadn't realized it, but, even though her arm was around Jacob's waist, her head had titled to Troy's shoulder. "Sorry."

Troy grinned at her, and she felt more embarrassed. She avoided Jacob's eye as she leaned into him and the photographer took some more pictures.

"Okay, let's get some couples pictures."

The group disbanded, and the photographer helped Chad and Sharpay pose. Chad had a smug look on his face as the photographer snapped away, and his hand slowly slid up to Sharpay's boob. She gasped and shoved him, annoyed. He grinned and kissed her deeply on the mouth. Sharpay tried to push him off, but then gave in. The clicking from the camera came faster.

"I think the boob grope is one for the family wall," said Taylor sarcastically.

At the sound of her friend's voice, Sharpay finally pulled away and wiped her mouth.

"Okay... next."

"Ewww, you don't have to wipe your mouth!" Gabriella cried as the two approached them, while Taylor and Ryan stepped forward for their pictures.

"Well, it got a little wet there," smirk Sharpay, and Gabriella rolled her eyes.

Jacob was standing a few feet away, looking uncomfortable, and Gabriella turned to him. "Are you excited?" she asked hopefully, smiling.

He shrugged. "Sure. I mean, it's Prom."

Gabriella's smile twitched. "Okay..." She looked over at Troy, who was laughing with Sarah. He made a joke, and the redhead threw her head back in laughter. She gripped Troy's arm as she giggled to steady herself. Gabriella didn't know she was scowling until Sharpay nudged her.

"What are you doing?" asked Sharpay suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Gabriella asserted quickly.

Twenty minutes later, all the pictures had been taken, and Sharpay checked the time on her phone. "The limo was supposed to be here ten minutes ago."

"It's okay, he's probably just a little late," Chad assured her.

Sharpay glared. "I _know_ he's a little late, that's why he's not here," she snapped.

Chad clenched his jaw, but didn't say anything.

"It's only six-thirty," said Angela in an attempt to soothe Sharpay. However, she clearly didn't know her that well.

"I know what time it is!" Sharpay snapped. "And we need time to eat before we get to the dance!"

"If we get there a little late, it's not big deal," Taylor said irritably.

"But it's Prom!" wailed Sharpay. "We only have one. We have to be there the entire time."

Gabriella sighed. "Sharpay, I'll slap you if I have to."

"Gabriella, I think Sharpay needs to be slapped," said Chad hastily.

Sharpay glowered. "You want me to get _injured_?"

"No. I want to see a cat fight between two hot girls... preferably rolling around in the grass, ripping each other's dresses."

She shoved him. "Shut up."

The limo finally arrived at seven o' clock, and Sharpay was beside herself with anger. As soon as the limo driver stepped out of the car, she was in his face and yelling. "Where the hell were you? Hello, you have a job to do, and your job is to drive people around _on time_! Is that sooo hard? Is it sooo hard to look at a clock and drive? Please, I could do this job in my sleep! Where've ya been? Stocking up on donuts? Getting your food together for the winter already?" She motioned toward his pot belly.

"I'm so sorry, miss --" the driver kept apologizing.

"Okay, let's go," mumbled Chad, dragging Sharpay to the back of the car.

"Hey, aren't you gonna open the door for me!?" screeched Sharpay to the driver as Chad pushed her inside.

Sharpay folded her arms and pouted. "I can't believe he's forty minutes late."

"It'll be fine," Chad said, shutting the door as the driver pulled away from the curb. "We'll just order appetizers or something."

"My Prom dinner is ruined," Sharpay complained.

Everyone sighed and ignored her.

"I'm excited for tonight," said Sarah earnestly. "You guys seem like a fun group."

"Yeah, sometimes we are," said Chad. "But most of the time we're boring."

Troy nodded in agreement. "Usually we sit around, play pool, and drink."

"Speaking of drinking..." Chad said, grinning widely. He pointed to the bar that stretched across the side of the limo; there was a tiny TV, a bunch of wine glasses, and a couple bottles of alcohol were chilling in an iced bucket. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Oh, yeah!" exclaimed Sharpay suddenly. "I forgot. I posed as my mom when I booked the limo, so I ordered us alcohol."

"Nice!" Chad cried triumphantly. He reached forward to grab a bottle, but froze. "Did we stop?"

Everyone glanced out the windows. They had indeed stopped, and the car was sitting, stationary, on the side of the road.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no --" chanted Sharpay, crawling over to Chad and stumbling out of the car. She stomped over to the driver, who had lifted up the hood the car. A gust of smoke erupted from the engine. "What is going on!?"

"Miss, stand back," said the driver.

Sharpay placed her hands on her hips, and she glared. "First, tell me what's going on!"

"Sharpay," grumbled Chad irritably, grabbing her hand and yanking her backwards. "Stop it."

"Let go! I want to know why we're standing on the side of the road!" she shouted.

"He can still tell you if you're standing ten feet away!" he yelled back.

"I'm gonna have to call a back-up car," said the driver apologetically.

Sharpay's face turned red. "How long will that take?"

"Anywhere from ten minutes to an hour."

"... are you KIDDING ME!?" Sharpay roared. "Our reservations were for a half hour ago!"

"Calm down," said Gabriella. "We can walk there."

Sharpay blinked. "You want to _walk_ there? In our prom dresses and heels?"

Gabriella shrugged. "Either that or we miss dinner."

A muscle twitched in Sharpay's jaw, but she sighed. "Fine!" She whirled around and pointed a finger threateningly at the driver. "You better pick us up!"

Chad grabbed her arm and hauled her, exasperatedly, along the side of the road. "It's only ten minutes away."

* * *

Ten minutes somehow translated to thirty minutes, and it was seven-thirty when the group finally reached the restaurant. A few strands had fallen out of Sharpay's and Gabriella's up-do's, and some of Taylor's curls had come out. The only one who was really bothered by the situation, though, was Sharpay. Taylor was holding hands with Ryan and the two were laughing, while Gabriella joked around with Jason, Zeke, Troy, and their dates. Chad was forced to stand near the front of the pack with Sharpay, who was pissed. 

Panting, Sharpay entered the restaurant and pushed through all the waiting customers to the front desk. "I have... a reservation... under Evans," she gasped out.

The host gave her a strange look before glancing at the seating chart. "Evans, party of twelve?"

She nodded.

"I'm sorry, but we had to give your table away."

She gaped. "_What!?_"

"Your reservation was for an hour ago," he explained kindly.

"No... no, you don't understand. We just walked across town, in _heels_, to get here." She pointed at the seating arrangement roughly, causing her finger to bend back slightly. "This is my senior prom!"

"I'm sorry," said the man again. "Now, please move along, as we have other guests to accommodate."

"Come on," sighed Gabriella from behind her, and she pulled Sharpay out of the restaurant. "Well," she explained to the others, who had waited outside. "We have to find somewhere else to eat."

"There's nowhere else!" growled Sharpay. "Everywhere else is full. It's a Saturday night, _and_ it's Prom."

Troy glanced across the street and grinned. "That place looks pretty empty."

Sharpay followed his gaze, and it rested upon Round Table. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "No. No, no, _no!"_

"Well, we gotta eat somewhere!" said Chad cheerfully. He and Troy each grabbed one of Sharpay's arms and dragged her across the street into the pizza parlor.

* * *

"This it the worst thing that could have ever _possibly_ happened." 

After the twelve of them had eaten at Round Table – and practically force-fed Sharpay – they'd called their driver, who informed them that there would be no replacement car for him to use until around nine o' clock. So, they'd been forced to walk, _again_, this time all the way to the Embassy Suites Hotel. All the girls had throbbing feet and the boys were loosening their ties uncomfortably. They reached the hotel at eight-thirty and the night would have been salvageable... if they hadn't remembered that their tickets had been in Jason's wallet, which he'd left in the limo.

"What made us think we could trust our tickets with _Jason_!?" screeched Sharpay. She was beside herself. The school was very strict on the No Ticket, No Dance policy, and, after Chad was, quite literally, thrown out for trying to sneak in through the back, they were out of luck.

"I have my tickets," Jacob announced.

Gabriella whipped around. "Why didn't you say anything before?!"

"I forgot," he confessed, pulling them out. "Let's go."

She was about to follow him, until she glanced at Sharpay and saw her sitting in the ground, shredding a leaf sadly. Gabriella sighed, and said, "You know... why don't you give them to Sharpay and Chad?"

Sharpay's head snapped up eagerly, and Jacob shifted uncomfortably. "Well... I kinda want to go in," he said awkwardly.

Gabriella gaped. "Oh... well... okay," she stammered; his statement caught her off-guard. "You can go. I'll stay out there." To demonstrate this, she gathered her dress and walked over the wall, leaning against it next to Sharpay.

"Are you sure?" asked Jacob in slight disbelief.

"Positive." She folded her arms over her chest confidently.

"Well, I have two tickets..." He looked around at the others.

"I'll go with you!" Sarah nearly yelled. Troy looked at her in surprise, and she smiled guiltily. "I'm sorry, but... well, I really don't want to miss my senior prom."

Troy shrugged. "It's okay, I guess. Go on ahead."

She beamed. "Thanks."

Gabriella noticed that, when she walked by, Troy rolled his eyes discreetly.

Jacob led Sarah around to the front of the hotel, and, as soon as they were out of ear-shot, Chad said, "He's an ass."

"I can't believe he wouldn't give you the tickets," said Gabriella, agog. "That was rude."

"You know..." Sharpay paused. "It's okay."

Everyone stared at her, stunned. "_What!?_"

"That was nice of you to stay out here with us." She smiled at Gabriella. "Maybe kind of dumb, too... but nice."

Gabriella shrugged nonchalantly. "I wouldn't have had fun without you guys there, too. _Especially_ with him, a.k.a. the most boring guy ever."

"Hey, you can kinda hear the music," said Chad, pressing his ear against the back door that he'd tried to sneak through earlier. "You know, because you've been dreaming about your Prom since you were seven and because, of dumbass Jason, you can't attend it," Chad began, looking very piqued at himself, "do you wanna dance?"

Sharpay glowed. "Really!?"

He nodded, and she jumped up.

"I feel like I'm in a movie," she said giddily. She wrapped her arms around Chad's neck and he encircled his around her waist, pulling her right up close to him.

Gabriella, before she knew what she was doing, stepped forward and poked Troy in the arm. "Wanna go for a walk with me?"

Troy looked surprised, but he nodded. "Sure."

Glad that the others weren't paying any attention to them, the two walked away from the group. They strode in silence for a few minutes, not really knowing where they were going and only stopping when they were around the corner and sat down on a rusty old bench.

"Do you want to say something?" urged Troy after a few seconds of silence.

She sighed. "I... don't know." She bit her lip nervously.

Troy looked confused, but he didn't say anything.

"I was just thinking," she continued. "earlier. About... some things."

"What things?"

"About... us. Kinda," she added quickly. "I was thinking about how you and I know each other so well. I mean, you know me better than anyone. Even Sharpay and Taylor."

"You know me better than anyone," he said quietly.

"And... I don't know, when I was thinking about today, and going with Jacob, I started thinking about my next relationship. Will my next boyfriend know everything about me, like you did? Will your next girlfriend know everything about you? Like, will she know that you sing old Britney Spears songs in the shower, or that you secretly get up at seven a.m. on Saturdays to watch anime cartoons, or that you drank bottles until your were five?"

He blushed. "It's embarrassing enough for you to know all those things," he mumbled.

"Exactly!" she said excitedly, throwing her hands up. "We know each other so well, inside and out. And, I was just thinking... will that ever happen again?"

He looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

"Will I ever meet another guy who I can be totally and completely honest with?" she said, in barely a whisper.

"Yeah... I mean, if you want to." Troy didn't take her eyes off of her.

"But that's the thing... I'm not sure if I do." Gabriella was as surprised as he was to hear her response.

He blinked, staring at her. "What do you --"

"I don't want to have to find someone else," she clarified, the words tumbling out of her mouth without her even thinking about them. "I don't want to have to go back on the market, and go through the whole process of finding someone else and getting to know them as well as I know you."

"What are you saying, Gabriella?" he asked softly. His throat was dry, and his heart was racing.

She took a deep breath. "I know that I wanted to break-up to see what else was out there. But Troy, I've been out there for four months, and every guy that I've met, that I even _considered_ dating, I compared him to you. I would look at him, and think, 'His eyes aren't as blue as Troy's' or 'He's not as caring as Troy' or 'He wouldn't appreciate me the way Troy did.' Even though I didn't want to admit it to anybody, not even myself, us breaking up is my biggest regret."

"Gabriella --"

"Let me finish," she cut in. She breathed in again, and said, "I can totally understand if you don't want to take me back. Trust me, it's what I deserve. But I had to tell you. I know that every single guy I meet will never hold a candle to you. I don't have to meet every guy in the world to know that. And I don't see the point in trying to build another relationship like the one we had, when I already found you."

Troy was speechless; he gaped at Gabriella, not knowing what to say. She stared at him expectantly, and his words were jumbled together at the tip of his tongue, battling to be heard. However, all that came out was, "Huh?"

She let out a laugh, her voice breaking. She swiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused in our relationship. But... I love you, Troy. I love you, and I have this whole time. But, again, I'll understand if --"

Gabriella was cut off by lips on hers, and she was so shocked that she didn't kiss back for a good ten seconds. Troy pulled back nervously, and said, "Sorry... I just --"

But before he could say anything else, Gabriella grabbed him by the collar and kissed him back furiously. She hadn't realized how much she missed Troy's kisses until he'd teased her with it, and now all she could do was kiss him back fiercely to make up for lost time. She moved her body so that she was sitting on his lap, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He had one arm around her waist to keep her steady and the other on the back of her head, pulling them closer together still.

After a few moments, Troy broke apart for air and breathed, "I love you. God, I love you so much. I never stopped."

Gabriella put her forehead against his, and he could see from the dim light above them that a couple tears were littered on her cheeks and eyelashes. He brushed them away with his thumb, his other arm still on her waist. He kissed her lightly, and they were still for a few moments, their foreheads and noses touching.

"There they are!"

Gabriella and Troy broke apart, and saw Sharpay's head poking around the corner. She squealed when she saw their positioning, and even when Gabriella had got off Troy and straightened out her dress, the damage was done.

"WERE YOU TWO MAKING OUT!?"

She power-walked over to them, surprisingly fast for a girl who'd walked some very long distances in heels earlier in the day, and looked at them ecstatically. "Please don't tell me you've been secretly dating."

"No." Gabriella rolled her eyes, but giggled lightly.

"Awww, you're back together! Right?" She looked from one to the other.

The two exchanged glances. "Yeah... I guess so," grinned Troy.

"Finally!" Sharpay jogged back around the corner, screaming, "TAYLOR, THEY'RE BACK TOGETHER!"

With Sharpay's back turned, Troy pulled Gabriella into another kiss. After a few seconds she pulled back and asked, "What was that for?"

"I missed you."

She smiled.

They heard another shriek, and when the two turned the corner, Gabriella was trampled by a mess of green fabric.

"We knew it! We knew it!"

"You did _not_ know it," Sharpay corrected from somewhere behind her. "You always told me to shut up whenever I said they still liked each other."

Taylor disentangled herself from Gabriella and said, "Well, I knew it... deep down."

The four of them walked over and rejoined the rest of the group.

"Are you really back together?" asked Chad quickly.

Troy nodded. Chad groaned, and Ryan pumped his first triumphantly. "Hand it over," he demanded.

"What..." Gabriella trailed off, eyeing Chad, Jason, and Zeke hand Ryan twenty dollar bills each. "Did you guys have a bet going about us?"

"Yes," said Chad truthfully. The other three nodded.

Gabriella opened her mouth in indignation, and Sharpay, yet again, pushed Chad. "Okay, this physical abuse is really not sitting well with me," he grumbled, rubbing his arm.

"How could you bet on them?"

Chad rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Your guys's relationship was probably the most dramatic thing to happen to us all year. Of course we took bets."

Gabriella folded her arms over her chest. "Oh yeah? So Ryan was the only one who thought we'd get back together?"

Chad nodded. "Yeah. Zeke said you guys wouldn't get back together, Ryan said you would, I said you would forever like each other but be too stubborn to admit it --"

"Thanks," said Troy sarcastically.

"-- and Jason said you two would become fuck buddies."

The couple stared at him blankly. "Did you _really_ think that was going to happen?" asked Troy.

Jason shrugged. "It could've."

"So how was it possible for you or Zeke to win?" asked Gabriella. "How would you know if we still liked each other or not? And would Zeke only win if one of us died?"

"Wait!" ordered Sharpay suddenly. Her ear was pressed against the back door, and she was listening closely. "They're announcing Prom Queen!"

Everyone gathered around her eagerly, listening. They could faintly hear one of the staff members saying, "The Prom Queen... for the class of 2008... is Taylor McKessie!"

Taylor's jaw dropped and Ryan hugged her. "Congratulations!"

Sharpay and Gabriella glared at her, and Taylor shrugged helplessly. "I didn't want this!"

"Miss McKessie, are you here? Are you present?" There was silence for a few moments, and then the teacher said, "It appears that our Prom Queen is not here to claim her title, so it will instead be given to our first runner-up... Gabriella Montez!"

Gabriella gaped in a similar fashion to Taylor. "Wha..."

"You guys got Prom Queen before _me_!?" shouted Sharpay indignantly.

A few more minutes later, the same teacher said, "I guess Miss Montez isn't here either... well, is Sharpay Evans, the second runner-up, here?"

"I'm here, I'm here!" screamed Sharpay, banging loudly on the door. "Let me in, please! That's me, I'm Sharpay Evans! THAT'S MY CROWN!"

A couple minutes later still, the staff member said, quite irritably, "Miss Evans is not present either. Please, for the love of God, is our third runner-up, Shelley Howard, here?"

A squeal was heard, and shortly thereafter a song began playing; Shelley was clearly there and basking in the honor of her title, despite being fourth in line to receive it.

Sharpay scowled. "This is _so_ unfair. If we hadn't left our stupid tickets in the limo, I would be Prom Queen!"

"Actually, Taylor would be Prom Queen," Ryan reminded her, proudly.

Sharpay gasped suddenly. "Oh, my gosh. We were the top three winners for Prom Queen!" she exclaimed. "That means... we are the coolest girls in school!"

"Yay," said Taylor and Gabriella unenthusiastically. "Just what we want," Gabriella added sarcastically.

"Come on, it's cool. Even though we sit around and do nothing, people envy us."

"I can see why," Chad said, nodding. "I mean, we're stuck out here on Prom night."

"But at least we're all together," Gabriella reminded them sweetly.

Even though Chad was not one for sappy moments, he shrugged begrudgingly.

A black limo turned the corner and drove right up to them, and they watched curiously. The car parked and their limo driver from earlier stepped out. "First, I would like to apologize for all the troubles I've caused you tonight."

"Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, we're locked out of our Prom," Sharpay said, annoyed.

The driver ignored her – having learned fast – and continued, "In return, our company is not charging you for the night. So I can take you anywhere you'd like for free until midnight."

Gabriella looked around at them all. "Well, we could go ride around somewhere... or we could get our tickets from the car and go to the dance."

Sharpay shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm not really that interested in going inside anymore. Prom Queen has already been announced, so..."

"Yeah, I vote go somewhere else," Taylor said. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Besides," added Gabriella, "our tickets are in a different limo."

Jason's face fell. "Oh, my God, my _wallet's_ there!"

Sharpay glared. "Who cares about your damn wallet?"

"Let's go!" Troy interrupted opened the back door. "Let's see where the night... takes us," he said lamely.

"Deep, Troy. Deep," said Chad sarcastically.

Angela, Jason, Zeke, and Matthew entered the limo first, taking backward seats adjacent to the driver. Ryan and Taylor got in next, sitting sideways, and Troy and Gabriella squeezed in next to them, holding hands. Chad and Sharpay entered last, directly facing Jason and Zeke.

"Just drive," called Sharpay. She sighed dreamily. "I feel like I have a chauffeur."

Chad reached up and turned on the radio, flipping through the stations, as the limo pulled out of the hotel parking lot. On one of the stations, the song Cherry Pie by Warrant was just starting.

"I _love_ this song!" exclaimed Sharpay.

"I know this song," Taylor said in surprise.

"Turn it up!" urged Gabriella.

Chad obliged and turned the volume up on full blast, the rock and roll beats so loud that the entire car shook and vibrated. Gabriella wouldn't have been surprised if their ear drums exploded.

"_She's my cherry pie. Cool drink of water, such a sweet surprise. Tastes so good, make a grown man cry. Sweet cherry pie. Yeah!_" they all sang loudly, and their ten combined voices were barely audible over the loud music. They didn't need Prom – they had their own dance right inside the limo.

Troy reached forward and removed the two bottles of champagne from their coolers, popping them open and pouring out ten glasses. With the music pounding in their eardrums, everyone downed their glasses quickly. Gabriella finished first, and grabbed the bottle to, not pour herself another glass, but, take a swig from the bottle itself. Sharpay grabbed hold of the other bottle and took a drink as well. She passed it to Chad and he sloshed some too, spilling a bit in the process.

Gabriella reached up and pressed a button that opened part of the roof of the car. She held out her hands and yanked Sharpay and Taylor with her. The three of them, with Gabriella in the middle, stood up and stuck their heads out of the roof. The powerful gust of air caused their hair to fly back and they blinked repeatedly to keep their eyes moist.

"_She's my cherry pie!_" They screamed into the night, so loudly that their voices cracked. A few cars honked, and some people who walking outside stared. "_Put a smile on your face, ten miles wide! Looks so good, bring a tear to your eye! Sweet cherry pie! Sweet cherry piiii-iieee!_" They held out the last note for a few seconds, before ending the song. "_Swing it!_"

The three girls giggled uncontrollably, their throats and ears throbbing. "We've been singing like freaks a lot lately, haven't we?" noted Taylor loudly over the roar of the wind.

"I never knew I could have so much fun in a limo instead of attending Prom!" Sharpay shouted.

Gabriella let go of Sharpay's hand to point at something off the road. "Let's go there!"

Without waiting for an answer, she ducked back into the limo, where the music had been turned down significantly, and knelt between Angela and Zeke. She stuck her head in the front seat and said, "Let's go to that laser-tagging place."

"Laser-tagging, alright!" cheered Ryan.

Their driver pulled into the parking lot and they spilled out of the car, slightly light-headed from the loud music and alcohol. The four girls took off their heels, finally relieving their blistering feet, and led the boys, barefoot, into the arcade.

The ten stood in the doorway, glancing around, and saw that the place was empty. The only sign of life was a bored girl standing at the front desk, her eyes drooping closed slowly.

"Can we play a game?"

The girl's eyes flew open. "Um. Sure." She pointed lazily. "Right in there."

The teens showed themselves in, as the girl made no move to escort them. The room they were in was a small waiting room of sorts, where their vests and guns were waiting.

"What are the teams?" asked Gabriella.

"How about... me, Sharpay, Troy, Gabriella, and..." Chad faltered, trying to decide which couple to split up.

"We want Taylor!" exclaimed Sharpay, grabbing the girl's arm.

"We're gonna whoop you," Jason smirked. "We have four boys."

"I wouldn't be so sure," challenged Gabriella as they suited up. They all approached the entrance to the laser-tag arena.

"Ready, set..." Troy counted down, but before he said 'go,' his team had already sprinted inside.

"Hey, no fair!" Jason yelled after them.

Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand and led her through the dark playing field. She laughed breathlessly as he practically dragged her, only stopping when they were on the side opposite from the entrance. He pushed her up against the wall and kissed her, running his hand through her hair the best he could, what with all the bobby-pins and hairspray keeping it up.

Gabriella kissed him back just as hungrily, nibbling lightly on his lower lip, and he groaned against her mouth. "I think we need to get you out of that dress..."

She swatted at him. "Sorry, I'm not having sex with you in a laser-tag room."

"Come on, it's dark!"

"Weren't we just talking earlier about how well we knew each other?"

He sighed. "I know, I know. I just hoped that you might want me enough to pleasure me here."

She giggled. "We can make out, though."

Troy thought for a second, and shrugged. "It's better than nothing." He bent down and kissed her, hard, again, and hugged her tightly to him. She ran one hand through his hair while the other snaked it's way up and down his back. "You're teasing me," he whined.

"Sorry. I can't help it."

A loud noise sounded near them, and they jumped. Their vests were flashing, and Jason was standing next to them, glaring. "I thought we came here to play laser-tag! First Sharpay and Chad, then Taylor and Ryan, who aren't even on the same _team_, and now you two! I'm afraid I'll find Zeke next..." He shuddered.

"Sorry, Jason," said Troy. "We'll play."

"Yeah, we'll play," Gabriella repeated, grinning. The two held up their guns simultaneously and shot at Jason. His vest lit up and he looked down at it.

"No fair!" he said again.

The two ran away as fast as they could, dodging shots fired at them from Angela, Zeke, Michael, and Ryan. They ran into Sharpay and Chad a couple times, who seemed to be having a harder time keeping their hands off each other, but all that changed when Chad realized that he was losing to Jason. He abandoned Sharpay and started chasing the other guy around. Gabriella skipped over and linked arms with her.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Is your senior prom what you thought it was going to be?"

Sharpay shook her head, smiling. "No... it's better."

* * *

**AN:** CHEESE ALERT. Ugh.

Cherry Pie by Warrant. Listen! I love it.

I think this is one of my favorite chapters. It's also my longest – 21 pages. Oh, and THANK FUCKING GOD Troy and Gabriella are back together, right? No more annoying reviews.

Since I didn't get many reviews last time, I am, again, holding the next chapter hostage.

ALSO – please go on my profile and check out my poll. After I expressed interest in writing a short sequel, I got some negative feedback and some positive feedback. Thus, I set up a poll. Please vote if you care at all.

**UP NEXT:**

In an attempt to keep the girls from getting too gloomy about graduation, the boys decide to include them in their senior prank.


	37. Why Can't You Behave?

**AN:** It just occurred to me – there are FOUR chapters left. And, well, after this chapter, there will be three. Sad.

REVIEW. I have personally conversed with some of you who tell me you read and don't review (you know who you are...) so, review. Or I shall castrate you. And trust me... I will find a way to even if you're a girl.

Hm. I didn't mean for that to come out so harsh...

The chapter title comes from the musical _Kiss Me, Kate_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_Why Can't You Behave?_

"We graduate in three weeks."

The girls were sitting side-by-side on the couch, their arms crossed and their faces drooping. It seemed as if the reality of graduation had finally hit them, and they'd done nothing but mope the whole day.

"I don't want to graduate," wailed Gabriella.

"Me either." Taylor frowned. "Can we stay in high school forever?"

"Okay, I have to step in and stop this crazy talk," Chad spoke up. He and the other guys were playing pool, leaving the girls alone to brood. "Come on. So what if we're graduating? We still have the whole summer before we leave for school."

The girls said nothing, and Chad turned back to the other four guys. "Okay. We need a different plan."

"Yeah, I think mentioning college wasn't the best way to cheer them up," Troy said sarcastically.

"Well, what's _your_ idea?" retorted Chad.

Troy bent forward, resting his elbows on the edge of the pool table. The other four leaned in too, in interest. "Maybe..." said Troy quietly and dramatically, "we should let them in on our senior prank."

"I'm not so sure they'll like it," said Chad doubtfully. "Especially Gabriella. She's still kind of a school Nazi."

Troy rolled his eyes. "You really think Gabriella would tell someone?"

"No, but I don't think it would necessarily make her feel better."

"I think we should do it," Zeke agreed. "They'll like it." Jason and Ryan nodded in accommodation.

Chad shrugged. "Whatever."

The boys stood up straight and walked back to the girls, who still had gloomy expressions on their faces. Troy sat on the coffee table across from them, and announced, "We want you three to take part in our senior prank."

Instantly, the girl's faces split into smiles. "Really!?" asked Sharpay excitedly. "Oh, yay. What is it? It better be good. It better go down in _history_."

"I'll do it... as long as we don't burn down the school," Gabriella said.

"Oh... well, then, you might wanna stay home..." Troy bit his lip.

"Troy!" she cried.

"I'm just kidding, Gabriella. Of course we're not gonna burn down the school."

"We're just gonna deface it."

"No." Troy glared at Chad. "We actually do have a really good prank. Jason, would you care to get it?"

Jason nodded and exited the den, returning five minutes later with two large crates under his arms. The girls looked at them suspiciously as the boxes moved.

"What's in there?" asked Taylor cautiously.

Jason set them down and opened one of them; he reached inside and extracted a fat, pink pig.

"Eww!" The three girls shouted and jumped up on the couch. "Is that a _pig_!?" spat Sharpay.

Jason nodded. "We have two." He tapped the second crate with his foot.

"Where were those?" Gabriella asked, wrinkling her nose at the odor.

"In my room. Under my bed," Troy told her.

Gabriella jumped down and poked him, hard, in the arm. "We did it in your bed yesterday! Are you telling me that two pigs were _listening_?" she asked, horrified.

"Well... they're pigs," said Troy weakly. "It's not like they knew what we were doing."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Where did you even get them?"

Troy pointed at Jason, who smiled sheepishly. "I live by a farm."

"... there are farms in Albuquerque?"

"On the very edge. So I just slipped over there and stole two."

"What exactly are you gonna do with two pigs?" Taylor asked. "Set them loose?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Chad. "Very smart, Taylor."

"How is this a good senior prank?" Sharpay scoffed. "It sucks."

"We're not done yet." Jason turned the pig in his arms, where a large, black number "One" was painted on it's side.

"... is this like Thing One and Thing Two?" Taylor asked skeptically.

"No. The other one has a 'Three' on it," Ryan explained as Jason put the pig back in its crate, locking it.

"There's only two pigs," Sharpay informed them.

"Exactly."

There was a short silence, and then a smile crept up on the girl's faces. "Ooooooooh."

* * *

The next morning, the eight of them met in the school parking lot at five o' clock, while it was still fairly dark. They were wearing dark clothing as they snuck up to the front steps, Jason carrying one crate and Troy the other. 

"Let's lock them up somewhere so they don't escape before school starts," Troy said quietly. The others nodded in agreement. "We'll put this one in the administration building," he continued. He took off down the hall, with Gabriella, Chad, and Sharpay following him. Jason, Zeke, Taylor, and Ryan went down a separate hallway.

"Should we put it in someone's office?" asked Troy, as they reached the admin.

"Matsui?" suggested Sharpay.

"Nah... he's nice," Chad said.

"So?"

"So, he might not expel us if we put it in someone else's office. But if we put it in his..."

"Expel us!?" gasped Gabriella.

Troy put his arm around her. "We're not going to get expelled. Chad just means if they somehow figure out it's us."

"Is that likely?"

"Maybe."

Gabriella frowned. "If I get expelled, I will seriously kill all of you."

"Then, we better make sure that doesn't happen," Troy said pleasantly.

"Wait, maybe we shouldn't put it here," said Sharpay suddenly.

"Why not?"

"We don't want the administration to know right away that there's something wrong, do we?" she asked, and the other three looked at each other in consideration. "We have to put them somewhere else... some place that won't be found until after the day starts."

Chad smirked suddenly. "How about the boys showers? No one will use those until the end of first period."

"Perfect!"

The four of them ran as fast as they could to the boys lockers room. When they entered, Gabriella and Sharpay wrinkled their noses. "It smells in here."

"Shut up, no it doesn't."

Troy stepped into the showers and opened the crate; the squealing pig ran out and Troy hurriedly got out and shut the door.

"Don't you think people will hear it?" Sharpay asked skeptically. "I mean, boys are dumb, but not _that_ dumb."

"Thanks, Sharpay," said Chad sardonically. "It's never quiet in here."

"Let's go," gasped Gabriella. "It smells _really_ bad."

The four exited the locker rooms, walking back to the entrance of the school when they ran into the other five.

"Where'd you guys put it?" Troy asked.

"Mrs. Buchanana's room."

"Well, in the supply closet in her room," Taylor added. "So she doesn't notice it right away."

Sharpay nodded approvingly. "Nice. We thought the same. Ours is in the boys locker room shower."

"Ew."

"Yeah, it was."

Gabriella checked her phone. "We should probably get going... a teacher might come."

* * *

Nearly three hours later, the eight of them were back in the school parking lot. "I feel like we were just here," pouted Troy to Gabriella. 

"That's 'cause we _were_."

"Well, it was enough to make me almost not come today." He sighed. "But I had to... to see our prank unravel," he recited melodramatically.

She beamed. "I'm excited. I hope Mrs. Buchanan finds the pig during homeroom."

"And I wish I could be there to see the guy who finds the other pig," said Troy dreamily. "A naked guy walking into a shower to find a pig in there..."

She stared at him. "You're imagining seeing a naked guy?"

He shook his head quickly. "No, I --"

Gabriella rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. "Let's go."

She led him through the hallway of the school and into Mrs. Buchanan's room, where Chad, Sharpay, and Jason already were, waiting eagerly.

"We're trying to get her to go in the closet," announced Sharpay as soon as they sat down. "But so far, she's had a pen and a broom at her desk."

"What did you say you wanted a broom for?" Gabriella asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jason pointed down at a mess of crumbs at their feet. "Sharpay shredded my Cheez-Itz," he said sadly.

"Tragic."

The tardy bell rang, and the rest of their classmates poured in. "Today is a homework day," Mrs. Buchanan announced, before turning back to her computer.

"We gotta get her to open that damn door," muttered Chad.

"Ask for a mop," suggested Sharpay. "She probably doesn't have that sitting out next to her desk."

"What do we need a mop for?"

Sharpay grabbed a Gatorade out of Jason's backpack and spilled half of it onto the floor. "Hey!" said Jason indignantly. "First my Cheez-Itz, now my Gatorade!? What, you gonna take my Twinkies now?"

"If they're needed," smirked Sharpay. Her hand shot up in the air. "Mrs. Buchanan, do you have a mop? Jason spilled his drink."

"He spilled something else?" asked Mrs. Buchanan in annoyance. She stood up, and the five held their breath as she walked closer... closer... closer...

She opened the supply closet door and shrieked. The five began to laugh and the rest of the students glanced at them, confused. There was a squeal and a flash of pink, and the Number One pig appeared at the front of the classroom.

"This isn't funny!" Mrs. Buchanan shouted. "It this someone's idea as a joke?!"

The group in the back held straight faces as everyone else around them laughed. "I think this is totally immature, whoever did it," said Sharpay loudly.

"Thank you, Miss Evans," said Mrs. Buchanan. She stepped over to her school phone and called the office, while the pig ran around the room. Girls screamed and stood up on their desks to avoid the smelly farm animal.

Mrs. Buchanan hung up the phone angrily. "It looks like Coach Bolton found a pig in the boys showers too."

"Oh shit, my dad found it," said Troy lowly.

"Does he know it was you?" Gabriella asked fearfully.

"I hope not."

A few moments later, one of the school security officers entered the room. "What number is on your pig?"

Mrs. Buchanan looked confused. Sharpay said loudly, "One!" Chad glared at her, and her eyes widened at her mistake.

"Jack's had a three on it," said the police officer. "We still have to find number two."

The five in the back all snorted, but luckily the adults didn't notice. "Well, God forbid I find it, or I'll make it into bacon!"

"Good joke, Mrs. Buchanan!" screeched Sharpay.

"Don't worry, Ida," said the office. "All the teachers are on the lookout for Pig Two."

"Ida?" mouthed Chad, and Sharpay laughed behind her hands.

"That's an old woman's name."

* * *

The rest of the day, random staff and faculty members would barge into classrooms and examine every nook and cranny for pig number two. In Sharpay, Chad, and Zeke's second period English class, Miss Darbus came in and looked in every single drawer and on every shelf for the imaginary pig. How she thought a large pig would fit behind books on a shelf was beyond the three of them, who looked at each other with raised eyebrows. But, nonetheless, the pig was not uncovered. 

There were a lot of rumors going around the school. Even some of Mrs. Buchanan's students, who'd been in the classroom when the pig was discovered, were telling tall tales about how hordes of animals had burst out of the closet and streamed into the hallways, practically carrying Mrs. Buchanan with her.

In six period, after spending the entire day combing the school for the other pig, Principal Matsui spoke to the school over the intercom. "Attention students of East High – you may have noticed staff members searching your classrooms throughout the day. There have been a lot of rumors going around, but I want to make it clear that there _will_ be school tomorrow, whether or not the administration finds what we're looking for."

Ryan, Chad, Jason, Zeke, and Gabriella, who all had Economics sixth period, screwed up their faces with held-in laughter, and Troy and Sharpay, who were in Spanish, nodded at each other triumphantly.

* * *

Later that night, Troy walked in to his den, where his seven friends were watching TV. "My dad just got home." 

"Now? It's eight!"

"I know." Troy sat down in an armchair and grabbed Gabriella, who was sitting on the arm of said chair, and placed her in his lap. "The entire staff had to stay after and look for the second pig." He paused. "I'm pretty sure he knows it was us."

Gabriella gasped. "Is he gonna say anything?"

Troy shook his head. "I doubt it. He's not gonna help me get kicked out of school."

"Sharpay would," said Chad irritably. "You made it kinda obvious that it was us," he said to the blonde.

"Well, sorr-ry!" she snapped. "No one noticed."

"Let's hope not."

"And they can't prove it."

"Don't they have security cameras in the school?"

They all stared at Taylor. "_What_?"

"I'm kidding!" she said quickly. "I'm kidding."

* * *

**AN:** Egh. Don't like how short this one turned out, but it is a fairly boring and uneventful chapter. Especially after all the "drama" that has happened lately. Zeke gay, Raylor (yeah, I just made that up. Aren't I amazingly intelligent?), Troyella reunion... yeah, it was time to lighten up with a good ol' pig-setting-loose prank. 

I don't think the last part of that sentence made any sense at all.

**UP NEXT:**

Some of the couples discuss how they're going to make their long-distance relationships work when they leave for college. The group participates in the end of the year senior activities, including the talent show.


	38. You'll Never Get Away From Me

**AN:** Thank you all for your compliments on the senior prank. No, I did not make it up. Some other reviewers actually mentioned having used it/seen it used before. I heard about it when I was a freshman. I was sitting in math (little nerd... everyone was older than me) and these juniors behind me were talking about senior pranks and that's one they mentioned. I remember loving it. And... it's stuck with me for the last two years.

Oh, haha, and if you wanna use that prank, go for it. It'd be amusing to see if it could actually work. If anyone _does_ try it, let me know what happens.

I forgot to say this before... I love you, JolieMarie, for your wise and kind words on my chapter titles. :)

The chapter title comes from the musical _Gypsy_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_You'll Never Get Away From Me_

Gabriella was sitting on Troy's bed, wearing only one of his T-shirts and a pair of boxer shorts. She sat, cross-legged, on his bed, picking at a thread on Troy's comforter. Troy himself came out of his connecting bathroom where he was getting a drink of water, dressed in only a pair of sweats. Gabriella couldn't help but smile at the sight of him.

He grinned back at her. He jumped onto the bed, causing Gabriella to bounce a little, and lay on his side next to her. "Have I told you yet how much I missed you?"

"Oh, only a couple... hundred times."

"That's it? Well," He sat up and kissed her on the mouth. "I missed you."

He settled himself down again, his hand resting on her thigh. She laid herself down on her back too, and Troy rested his head on her stomach. Her hand instinctively bent down and slowly ran itself through his hair.

"Troy... it's the middle of May."

"I know," he said. "I had to write the date five times today."

"We graduate in three weeks."

Troy was still for a moment, and then sat up, looking at her. "Are you upset again?"

"Well, now that it's getting so much closer..." She frowned. Troy scooted back and laid down so they were right next to each other. "I think about it, like, every day. On the one hand, I can't wait for school to be over. But on the other... I don't want it to ever end."

"I know what you mean."

"What are we gonna do?"

"Well, we're going to make the last few days of school last as long as possible." He paused. "I never thought I'd say that."

"No, I mean... what are _we_ gonna do? As in, you and me."

"... oh."

She sat up and drew her legs up to her chest. "I want it to last this time. This is the real deal. So I don't want a stupid thing like you going to school here and me in California to ruin it."

"It won't."

"How do you know?"

"Come on, Gabriella." Troy sat up too and turned so he was facing her. "If we want it to work, it'll work."

"But how can you be so sure?" she asked sadly. "How are you so positive and optimistic and I'm so... not?"

"Because you're a downer. Debbie Downer, anyone?"

She opened her mouth indignantly. "Excuse me?"

"I'm just kidding. I don't know why you're so pessimistic. Do _you_? I mean, you probably know yourself a little more than I do – but just a tiny bit."

"I don't know..." She sighed. "Maybe... I guess 'cause I've moved around a lot. I always tell my friends we'll keep in touch but we never do."

"Well, I'd hope your old friends don't love you as much as I do."

"You never know," she said sarcastically. "It's incredibly possible they all had large lesbian crushes on me."

"I wouldn't blame them. If I were a girl, I'd turn lesbian for you."

She eyed him. "That's not very flattering. On the contrary, it's quite creepy."

"Yeah, it kinda is," he agreed. "I take it back."

"But seriously, Troy. How are we gonna do this?"

Troy put his elbows on his knees and looked thoughtful. "Well... I'll use all of my one thousand texts on you the first day. And I'll use up all my minutes calling you. And then when my dad gets the cell phone bill, I'll be forced to get a job to pay for the thousands of texts and minutes I use up on you. Oh, and to pay for all the plane tickets I'll be buying to California."

She gave him a small smile. "Sounds like a plan. Although one thousand texts a day – that's a lot of texts. That's like, a text a minute."

"Yup." He half-shrugged. "But in case that's a little bit of an exaggeration, then maybe what we'll do is I'll text you as much as I can and call you whenever we're not in class. And I'll visit you once a month."

"And I'll visit _you_ once a month," she offered. "This is our home... I'd like to come back here. And then I can visit Chad and Sharpay too."

His smile faded. "I always forget she's going to U of A too."

"It won't be that bad. She'll spend most of her time with Chad," she reasoned.

"Then who will _I_ spend time with?" he whined.

"Well, you'll have to make some new friends. That's what happens when you go to a new school, Troy," she explained in a teasing voice.

He pouted. "But I don't wanna make new friends. I have friends."

* * *

While Troy and Gabriella were talking upstairs, Ryan and Taylor were alone in the den having a similar discussion. 

"I'm just saying that it's gonna be hard," Taylor was saying.

"I know that," Ryan said. "But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna try."

"You don't know that," Taylor pointed out. "How do you know you won't be tempted to go out with some other girl while you're in New York and I'm in California?"

"Do you really think I'd do that?" Ryan asked incredulously.

"I – I don't know!" she stammered. "I don't think you would, but..."

"But what?"

"I just --"

Ryan folded his arms across his chest. "Is it because _you_ might be tempted?"

She gaped. "Of course not!"

"Then why bring it up in the first place? If you say you don't think I would, what are you so worried about?"

Taylor shook her head. "Ryan, you --"

He shook his head exasperatedly and strode to the door. "Look, Taylor. I want to make this work. I'm willing to make it work. But if you're not, just tell me! I want to know if you don't want to do this." He put his hand on the door knob. "Think about it." He left.

* * *

The next day, all of the seniors were excused from fourth, fifth, and sixth period to attend the annual Senior Picnic. Said picnic was held behind the school, on a large empty patch of grass near the baseball and football stadiums. Outback Steakhouse was catering, and a long table with different trays filled with steak, chicken, and hamburgers, among other side dishes, was spread out along a side of the field. Students brought their own picnic blankets and lounge chairs, and a DJ had been hired. 

Gabriella and Taylor were just getting out the field after going to their cars to retrieve a classic white and red checkered blanket to sit on and a couple chairs. They searched through the field for a patch of space, and found one somewhere near the middle. After spreading the blanket out and unfolding the chairs, Gabriella glanced around. "Where is everyone?"

Taylor shrugged.

The two glanced through the crowd, before finally locating the five boys and Sharpay. They waved them over.

Chad bumped into many people as he stumbled toward them, as he was carrying three huge, bright pink chairs. The letters SE were embellished on them. He dumped them on the blanket as soon as he reached them, and glared at Sharpay. "You owe me."

"I'll make it up to you later," she said off-handedly. "Let's go, I'm hungry!" She grabbed Chad's hand and dragged him over to the buffet line.

Troy, holding an ice chest, set it down, panting.

"Why'd you bring that?" asked Zeke. "It's a barbecue. They provide this stuff."

Troy shrugged vaguely.

Taylor was looking out over the crowd, avoiding Ryan's gaze, something which Jason noticed. "Why are you staring at Taylor?" he asked slowly. "And why isn't she looking back? Aren't you guys dating or something?"

"Shut up!" spat Ryan. Taylor flushed.

Gabriella sighed deeply. "Come on, Taylor, let's... go eat," she said, grabbing the girl's hand and leading her away. Once they were far enough away, she asked, "What's up?"

"Nothing!"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Give me more credit. I am always helping Sharpay with her problems, so, trust me. I can spot problems a mile away."

Taylor frowned.

"Come oooooon," begged Gabriella impatiently.

"It's just --" she stammered. "Ryan and I got in a fight yesterday."

Gabriella gasped dramatically. "But you two _never_ fight!"

"I know. But we did last night."

"What happened?"

"Well..." She sighed. "I might have accused Ryan of not being able to stay faithful while at school."

"... you WHAT!?"

"I don't know why I said it!" she whined.

"You don't really think Ryan could ever cheat on you, do you?"

"No."

"Then why'd you said it?"

"I just said I didn't know."

"Well, think, damnit!"

Taylor sighed. "I guess... maybe... I don't want him to realize how good he could have it."

Gabriella blinked.

She then promptly burst into laughter.

Taylor looked annoyed. "What exactly is so funny?"

"You."

"And why?"

Gabriella continued to giggle slightly. "Gosh, Taylor, gain some self-confidence."

Taylor glared. "What?"

"Look, Ryan's not gonna 'leave' you. Really. You think the girls are any better in New York than here?"

"Uh. Yes."

"They're not. And who says Ryan is interested in any of that?" Gabriella shook her head. "You know Ryan better than I do. Do you really think he's attracted to the bitchy, high-maintenance girls of New York City? Or, as they're better known, Sharpay-clones?"

"Well... no."

"You gotta give him more credit," Gabriella advised. "He's probably just as worried that you'll find some other guy, but he trusts you. You should trust him too."

Taylor pouted. "I know. But it's hard. I don't want him to hurt me."

"He won't," said Gabriella. "I promise for him. And if he does, Sharpay and I will castrate him ourselves. Sharpay is already planning to torture Chad if _he_ cheats, so we can just add Ryan to the list."

Taylor finally smiled. "Thanks."

Gabriella grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the group. "So go tell him that." She pushed Taylor toward Ryan. Taylor smiled sheepishly and took Ryan's hand, leading him away.

"Whew." Gabriella wiped imaginary sweat off her forehead. "I'm always solving everyone's damn problems."

"It's payback for you complaining to everyone about your and Troy's break-up," Zeke reminded her,

She chose to ignore that statement. "Speaking of Troy, where --?"

"Hey!"

On cue, Troy bounded over with Chad and Sharpay right behind him, clutching plates full of food. "Troy's kinda freaking out about something," said Chad in annoyance. "He's acting like a two-year-old."

"Something we do often," nodded Gabriella. She glanced at Troy. "Why are you excited?"

"I signed us up for the talent show!"

There was a slight pause, before Gabriella asked, "There's a talent show?"

Troy nodded eagerly. "Yes, in an hour! Come on, we have to get ready!" He glanced around eagerly. "Where're Ryan and Taylor?"

"Present," said Ryan. He and Taylor walked over, his arm around her shoulders and the two of them smiling. "What's this about a talent show?"

"The eight of us have an act. Come on, we have to get ready." Troy beckoned for them to follow him.

"But Troy, I'm hungry," pouted Sharpay.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Then take the damn food with you. Let's go!"

"Where are we even going?" asked Gabriella as the eight pushed their way through the crowd.

"We have to break into the locker rooms."

* * *

"Attention all East High seniors," the DJ boomed, and the chatter of students died down slightly. "The Senior Talent Show is about to commence, so we ask you to give your undivided attention to all the acts who have worked hard to perform for you today." Most of the students, with their food, sat down in chairs or on the ground to watch the show. "The first act consists of Troy Bolton, Gabriella Montez, Chad Danforth, Sharpay Evans, Taylor McKessie, Ryan Evans, Jason Cross, and Zeke Baylor singing to 'Wannabe' by The Spice Girls." 

The music started, thumping loudly, and Troy was the first to jump onto the small stage set up for the talent show. "_Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want!_" he sang. The backtrack of the girls's vocals could still be heard softly behind Troy's own singing.

"_So, tell me what you want, what you really, really want!_" Chad jumped onto the stage as well, from the other side.

"_I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want!_" Jason sang, entering from the same direction Troy had.

"_So, tell me what you want, what you really, really!_" Zeke stood near Chad.

Ryan entered last, from stage right like Troy and Jason, singing, "_I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really, really, really wanna zig-a-zig, ah!_" The five boys did weird little dance moves, and the crowd roared with laughter – not just because of song choice and dancing, but because of their attire; all five boys were dressed in tight cheerleading uniforms, exposing their toned arms and hairy, muscular legs.

"_If you want my future, forget my past_," sang Troy dramatically, cat-walking up to the front of the stage.

"_If you wanna get with me, better make it fast_," Chad sang, running his hand seductively up his thigh.

"_Now don't go wastin', my precious time_," Jason sang with attitude.

"_Get your act together we could be just fine_." Zeke blew a kiss flamboyantly.

Troy crouched down and placed his arms on his legs, as if he were rapping. "_I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want!_"

Chad mimicked his movements. "_So, tell me what you want, what you really, really want_!"

Ryan stood in the middle and sang, "_I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really, really, really wanna zig-a-zig, ah!_"

The five boys stood in a straight line as they sang the chorus and danced, as one might say, lamely – they did the great vine back and forth and pumped their fists in the air. "_If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends. Make it last forever, friendship never ends! If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give! Takin' is too easy, but that's the way it is!_"

"_What you think about that, now you know how I feel_!" Troy rolled his hips in a circle.

"_Say you can handle my love, are you for real?_" Chad stuck his hip to the side and placed his hand on it, standing similar to that of a valley girl.

"_I won't be hasty, I'll give you a try_." Jason hugged his body.

"_If you really bug me then I'll say good-bye_." Zeke held up his palm defiantly.

"_Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want!_"

"_So, tell me what you want, what you really, really want!_"

"_I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really, really, really wanna zig-a-zig, ah!_"

As the chorus started again, the five of them, still in a straight line, put their hands behind their head and pelvic thrust'ed a few times, before pausing for a beat and repeating the process. "_If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends. Make it last forever, friendship never ends! If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give. Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is!_"

Gabriella entered from stage left, wearing Troy's large basketball uniform. Her hair was tied up and she had red war paint on her cheeks. "_So, here's the story from A to Z_," she rapped. "_You wanna get with me, gotta listen carefully. We got Em in the place who likes it in your face, we got G like MC who likes it on an --_"

"_-- Easy V doesn't come for free_," interrupted Sharpay, darting in from stage right and dressed similarly to Gabriella – she was wearing Chad's uniform and also had war paint under her eyes. "_She's a real lady, and as for me --_"

"_Ha, you'll see_!" sang Taylor, entering from stage left. She, predictably, was also wearing an East High basketball uniform. She joined the other two girls at the front of the stage and stood between them. "_Slam your body down and wind it all around._"

"_Slam your body down and wind it all around!_" the three sang in unison.

"_If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends,_" the eight all sang together. Troy and Gabriella were shimmying back and forth, whilst Chad and Sharpay danced close, her back to his front. "_Make it last forever, friendship never ends!_" Ryan and Taylor were holding hands near the front of the stage and jumping up and down off the balls of their feet, and Jason and Zeke were doing a poor rendition of the robot. "_If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give. Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is!_"

"_If you wanna be my lover,_" they all started, but then Ryan continued with, "_you gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta, you gotta slam, slam, slam, slam!_" He stomped his feet to emphasize these words.

"_Slam you body down and wind it all around. Slam your body down and wind it all around_!" they sang together at the front of the stage. "_Slam your body down and wind it all around._"

"_Slam your body down and zig-a-zig, ah,_" Ryan finished.

The music continued for a few seconds, with the group attempting to do Troy's famous moon walk to the beat. "_If you wanna be my lover_!" they concluded, half of them on their knees, and the other half standing up with their hands out; they were posed quite messily.

The audience clapped and cheered loudly, almost everyone standing up. "Sexy!" some guy yelled. The five guys stepped forward and curtseyed, while the three girls bowed masculinely. They then ran off the stage quickly and over-dramatically, deliberately poking fun at theatre performers who ran off stage in between scenes.

"Well, it looks like that will definitely be a hard act to follow," the DJ commented, amused.

The group walked back through the crowd to their blanket, their faces flushed as they beamed. "That was actually kinda fun," Chad admitted, his arm draped around Sharpay's shoulders.

"You know you loved it," Sharpay told him.

"Chad, that was so cool," a girl said breathlessly, stopping the two in their tracks.

"Thanks."

"I... I like your hair," she said bashfully.

Sharpay narrowed her eyes at the girl, and Chad smirked at his girlfriend. "Hey, you can touch it if you want."

"Really!?"

Sharpay levelled Chad's gaze, challenging, before turning to face a boy who was listening to their exchange. "And you can touch my boobs."

The guy grinned eagerly. "Can I really?"

"No," snapped Chad, no longer smiling. He led Sharpay away, asking irritably, "What was that for?"

"Your hair is like man boobs," she explained casually. "Girls like your hair, guys like my boobs. So, if a girl gets to touch your hair, a guy gets to touch my boobs." She smiled innocently.

"That's such an unfair trade up."

"It's so not."

They joined the rest of the group, who were sprawled out on Gabriella's blanket. "How'd you come up with that song, Troy?" asked Jason.

They all turned to stare at him, and he laughed, embarrassed. "Well... I heard it on Gabriella's iPod yesterday."

The gaze shifted to her. She blushed. "What? It's an okay song."

"Hey, guys, look what I got." Troy reached toward the ice chest he'd brought with him, opening it and revealing to them many water bottles.

"Oh... great," they said unsurely.

"Take one." They all took a water bottle, unsure of Troy's motive, and took a sip. Their faces contorted.

"Is this vodka!?" asked Jason loudly.

"SHHH!" Troy hissed at him. "Don't yell it, dumbass."

"I gotta hand it to you, Troy, this was a good idea," Chad confessed.

"Thanks. I also have some beer in here too," he smirked.

Gabriella held up her vodka-filled water bottle. "What should we toast to?" she asked.

"A toast?" said Zeke. "That's kinda lame, Gabriella."

"No it's not!" interjected Sharpay. "I like it." She held up her water bottle too, and waited expectantly as everyone did the same. "To... college."

"To keeping in touch," offered Ryan.

"To staying friends," said Taylor.

"To... the best days of our lives," Gabriella concluded.

The rest of the friends mumbled their agreement and chugged their water bottles; other students looked at them strangely, wondering why they were making a toast to water, but they didn't care. They knew better.

* * *

**AN:** No matter how hard I tried, every chapter ending turned out corny toward the end. I'm also not satisfied with the way the Taylor/Ryan fight played out... the actual fight was, like, 3/4 of a page and no matter what I did, it remained... short. Sigh. Oh well. They needed to have a little squabble – tiff, if you will. 

Hm... I'm still not sure if I like the talent show thing. I love how it looks in my mind, but, sadly, my mind is not accessible to you. Hopefully the mental image of Zac Efron and Lucas Grabeel wearing cheerleading uniforms is enough to pop a chuckle. Or perhaps a guffaw. Chortle, if I may.

As for the follow-up to this story (I don't like the word sequel, because it isn't a REAL sequel, being only 3 chapters), I finished the first part (or, at least, wrote the first draft), which is 22 pages long. Since it's only three parts, the chapters will be loooong. I'm liking it so far. It's also titled – in fact, it's been titled since the very beginning. I like said title. I won't tell you what it is, but I will tell you that it has the same initials as this story, "FY." Completely coincidental, by the way.

TWO MORE CHAPTERS.

**UP NEXT:**

Graduation is upon them, and it's a bittersweet affair.


	39. So Long, Farewell

**AN:** Second to last chapter. SAD.

I realized a while back that I COMPLETELY forgot to include Sharpay's dog in this story... I thought I mentioned it before, but after looking through my AN's, I realized I hadn't. So I'm saying it now. I forgot to include Sharpay's dog in this story (what was it's name?). We shall just pretend... that... it... died.

Fun fact: the talent show routine was originally going to be the Soulja Boy dance. But then Wannabe came up on my iPod... and the rest, as they say, is history.

The chapter title comes from the musical _The Sound of Music_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_So Long, Farewell_

"It's graduation!" wailed Taylor, Gabriella, and Sharpay in unison. It was Wednesday right after school, on their last day of school ever, and their high school graduation started in five hours. "I don't wanna goooooo!"

"Stop it," said Chad irritably. "It's not that big of a deal."

"You don't understand, Chad!" Sharpay cried. "This is the beginning of the end! Life just goes downhill from here!"

Chad shook his head. "No, it doesn't. Haven't you heard of college parties?"

"But it won't be the same," she pouted. "High school is over. We're never going to see all these people ever again. Like... Martha."

"You hate Martha," Chad reminded her.

"Yes, but the hate is what I'm going to miss about her!" exclaimed Sharpay matter-of-factly. "I'm gonna miss all the people I hate, because the hatred I feel is part of my daily cycle. Just like how I'm gonna miss all the nerdy kids in my Physics class who laughed at me when I'd do a lab wrong, and that weird girl in my Spanish class who didn't use deodorant so she had huge, nasty sweat stains on her shirts, and even... even Mrs. Buchanan." She shivered slightly.

"Even Mrs. Buchanan?" gasped Chad dramatically.

Sharpay shoved him. "Stop it. Let us be upset in peace."

"Yes, be quiet. I like that idea."

"No, I mean _you_ be quiet."

"How about," interjected Ryan. "everyone stays quiet?"

"Orrrrr," Sharpay droned. "We can complain."

The three girls glanced at each other and immediately started wailing again. "I don't wanna graduaaaaate!"

Sharpay stood up, sniffling. "Gabriella... Taylor... we have to go get ready... for graduation," she stammered. Gabriella and Taylor stood up glumly and the three of them walked out of the den to leave.

The five guys all sighed in relief as the door shut. "Thank God they're gone."

"Yeah, all their graduation crap was really starting to piss me off," grumbled Chad.

Ryan shifted. "I don't know, I kinda know how they're feeling..."

Chad turned and glared. "No, Ryan. Do not act all sissy on us now. Zeke's the gay one, he's allowed to be all emotional." Zeke rolled his eyes. "But YOU can't!"

"Well, I am," said Ryan defiantly. "Graduating high school is a sad thing to go through. That is, until we get to college."

"Exactly. So don't even think about how 'sad' graduation is," said Chad with finality.

There was a few seconds pause.

"Graduation _is_ sad," remarked Jason, and Troy nodded in agreement.

"God. I have a bunch of girls for friends," Chad said with disgust.

* * *

"Maybe if we don't get ready, graduation will come slower," said Gabriella sadly.

The three friends were sitting, cross-legged, on the floor of Sharpay's room. Their dresses, shoes, and accessories were all laid out on the bed, but the most any of them could do was stare at the clothes for a few moments before looking away. They hadn't moved in forty-five minutes.

"It isn't working," Taylor said. "Graduation still starts in four hours."

They all heaved sad sighs. "Guys, I want to go back to the beginning of the year," said Gabriella.

"It seems so long ago," Taylor mused.

"And everything was so... different," Sharpay said.

"I was dating Chad," said Taylor, her eyes narrowed as she reminisced. "Wow. I dated _Chad._ What the hell was I thinking?"

"Hey. Shut up."

Taylor shrugged. "Sorry, but I was crazy. Chad and I had absolutely zero romantic interests in each other. Did you know that we made out only twice?"

Sharpay and Gabriella stared. "Only twice!?" asked Sharpay incredulously. "Jesus, Chad and I made out more than that before we even started dating."

"Oh, Taylor," smirked Gabriella, remembering something. "Have you done it yet?"

Sharpay gasped loudly. "I forgot, you're 'saving' yourself." She used air-quotes. "How's that going?"

Taylor pursed her lips. "No, I haven't done it yet."

"So Ryan isn't that irresistible, I guess?" Sharpay nodded understandingly. "I thought so. I can't wait to rub it in his face."

"Don't," sighed Taylor. "It's not that I don't want to do it... I just don't feel ready."

Sharpay looked at her strangely. "You want to do it... but you're not ready. That makes NO sense at all."

Taylor flushed. "Yes it does!"

"_I_ don't see it."

"Oh my gosh, guys," interrupted Gabriella. Her two friends glanced at her. "This might be our last fight!"

Sharpay started pouting. "Oh, why'd you remind me!?"

Taylor checked her phone. "Three hours and fifty-five minutes."

"Where is the time going!?" whined Sharpay. "It's too fast!"

"This might be our last time getting together at Sharpay's house to get ready for something," continued Gabriella.

"You're giving me wrinkles, what with all this sadness!" snapped Sharpay. She stood up and looked at their dresses, sighing. "Maybe we should do our makeup."

"Why our makeup first?" asked Taylor.

Sharpay frowned. "Because wearing makeup will keep me from crying and ruining it."

* * *

Despite the girls' best efforts, graduation arrived as planned. The seniors were required to arrive one hour early, to go through a last rehearsal. They were all wearing their blood-red graduation caps and gowns over their outfits. Sharpay, Gabriella, and Taylor were sitting against the closed bleachers, crying.

"Great, now I have to fix my makeup," sputtered Sharpay.

Gabriella sniffled. "I don't want this to be the last time I see everybody!"

Their five guy friends approached them. "You're crying!?" said Chad exasperatedly.

"Yes. And if you don't have anything nice to say, go away," Sharpay retorted.

"Come on, you know this isn't the last time we're gonna be together," Troy soothed, sitting down across from Gabriella.

"It's not us as a group," scoffed Gabriella. "It's the whole school. I'm not ready to leave high school behind. That and I didn't get fucking Vale --" She stopped.

Troy blinked. "You didn't get Valedictorian?"

She glanced to the right and then the left. "I-I didn't say that..."

"You told me you did get it!" he exclaimed.

Gabriella sighed. "I lied, okay? That's why I didn't let you guys go to the ceremony. I knew I didn't get it."

"But you have, like, a 4.4 GPA!"

She shrugged. "Alice had a 4.5." She brought her knees up to under her chin and rested her head on them.

"Are you upset about it?" Troy asked her.

She shrugged noncommittally. "Whatever."

"Not whatever," said Troy. "Are you?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Troy, if you're going to get all sentimental, let us know so we can leave."

"Yeah, I'm upset," said Gabriella. "But it's just... whatever."

"Well, don't let it ruin your graduation," Troy told her. "You're in Stanford already, aren't you?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I guess." She leaned over and pecked him on the mouth. She pouted again. "But I wanted to make my speech."

Troy scooted closer to her. "Tell you what. You can recite your speech to me later."

Her face lit up. "Really?"

"As long as you do it naked."

She rolled her eyes and hit him lightly on the chest.

Taylor looked around, her face long. "I don't want to graduate."

Ryan smiled tightly. "You're still going to, no matter how much you complain."

Sharpay stood up suddenly. "Just because we're graduating doesn't mean we can't have some fun." She trotted over the the over side of the gym, where an abandoned microphone that had been used earlier by the principal to inform them of the gradation plans sat. "Is this thing on?" she asked in a ditzy tone. Her voice boomed throughout the gym, and she giggled. "I guess so." She cleared her throat. "Well, everyone, as you know, we are graduating." Chad rolled his eyes. "And... as you may also know... we are... well, we're never going to see each other again!" Her voice had risen to an unnaturally high-pitch as she struggled not to cry. Gabriella's and Taylor's eyes started welling up as well, and Troy and Ryan shot warning glances at Chad. Chad stood up and jogged through the sea of people toward his girlfriend.

"Sharpay --" he began, but she ignored him.

"I don't think we should spend our last night upset," Sharpay continued, and a few people in the crowd nodded. "So, instead, we should spend it getting drunk."

Chad's eyes widened. "Um... Sharpay. Did you forget we're underage?" he hissed.

She whispered back, "I checked, all the teachers are outside." She spoke back into the microphone and said, "So, what do you say?"

"We're going to Joey's tonight!" someone yelled.

Sharpay looked offended. "Well, I don't know who this _Joey_ is, but I don't think _Joey_ is inviting the entire senior class to his party. Nor do I think he has a country club ballroom and a DJ. Do you, _Joey_?"

Another boy, most likely said Joey, mumbled, "No..."

"Lava Springs country club, tonight, right after the graduation ceremony. Everyone is invited. Even the nerds who I was bitchy to, and the fat girls I threw more food at, and the anorexic girls I took food away from, and --" She was cut off by Chad literally dragging her away.

"They get it," he growled.

She rolled her eyes. "EVERYONE CAN COME!" she shouted one last time as she was led back over to the rest of their friends.

Taylor and Gabriella were jumping up and down ecstatically. "Oh, my gosh, yes!" they chorused together. "And to think, we were going to spend the whole night crying in Troy's den," said Gabriella. "How did we not think of throwing a party?"

Ryan folded his arms across his chest and smirked at his sister. "Hey, Sharpay, this 'party' of yours – who's DJing? Does the country club even know about it? And how exactly are you planning on getting alcohol served?"

She blinked. "... shit," she murmured. She dug through her purse and took out her phone. "I'll force them to make an alcohol exception just this one time, or I'll make Mom and Dad fire them."

"Sometimes, your selfish attitude and complete disregard for other's jobs can come in handy," Gabriella commented.

Sharpay shrugged. "Yeah, it can work wonders." She dialed a number on her phone. "I'm sure we can get a DJ to come out... with a nice, big sum of money..."

"Guys... grad --" Taylor began, but Ryan interrupted her irritably.

"If you are going to whine about graduation _one more time_, I will be so pissed."

* * *

"I, Harold J. Matsui, am pleased to present to you all the class of 2008." The principal cleared his throat. "Zachary Aaron."

The first row of students stood up, and the boy on the far left walked up the small stage set up in the middle of the football field to receive his diploma. As he took it from Principal Matsui and shook his hand, as well as the superintendent's, he moved the gold tassel on his graduation cap to the other side.

The rest of the students clapped, and Zachary walked back to the end of the row as Anna Ashford walked up the same path.

Gabriella stood in one of the middle rows, right next to Taylor. The two were holding hands tightly, trying not to ruin Sharpay's perfect makeup job with tears.

As sad as graduation was, they were glad to finally be receiving their diplomas. They had to sit through the Chamber Choir singing the national anthem, the Valedictorian's speech, another student's speech, the principal's speech, another student's speech, and the superintendent's speech for the past half hour. The two girls's sorrow had been replaced with boredom and anxiety.

"Zeke Baylor," Principal Matsui said into the microphone.

A loud applause broke out over the crowd. Zeke's seven friends were the loudest of all, clapping as hard as they could with their hands high above their heads.

"Troy Bolton."

Gabriella and Taylor stood up on their seats and screamed with the crowd as Troy sauntered up to the front. Gabriella jumped up and down slightly, not completely trusting the fold-up chair positioned on the football field turf. Troy took his diploma and waved, linking eyes with Gabriella and grinning. She could vaguely make out him winking at her.

The names continued for a few minutes, as various acquaintances of theirs received their own diplomas, until Jason's name was called. He received a louder cheer than normal, as Troy and Zeke had, and Gabriella and Taylor whistled loudly. "Bow chica wow wow!" Gabriella cat-called loudly, and the crowd erupted in laughter.

A few people later, and Chad's name was called. Sharpay, mimicking Gabriella and Taylor from earlier, stood up in her chair and screamed the loudest at his name. The second he looked out at the crowd after taking his diploma, she shrieked, "I LOVE YOUUUU!" in a way she knew would embarrass him. Laughter sounded again amongst the cheers, and Gabriella and Taylor smirked at each other knowingly. Chad just nodded and waved at her, still beaming. His graduation cap barely remained stationary over his afro hair.

Ryan's name was called a few moments later, and Taylor and Gabriella stood up on their chairs again. "Woooooo!" they shouted, pumping their fists in the air. Ryan looked over his shoulder and grinned at his girlfriend, and she blew him a kiss. He walked up to the stage and took his diploma, and, in an adorable statement, waited at the edge of the stage as Sharpay's name was called. Taylor and Gabriella shouted themselves hoarse when their blonde friend went up (being stopped momentarily by Chad, who was seated at the edge of his row, when he grabbed and kissed her, eliciting louder cheers than ever) and, after joining Ryan, the two held hands and waved to the bleachers full of parents.

"I'm gonna have no voice left," Taylor muttered to Gabriella, who nodded.

The two had a slight break, as they watched all the F's through L's go up. They clapped politely for everyone – and then it was their turn.

Taylor was the fifth person in their row to be called. Gabriella, Sharpay, and Ryan screamed the loudest for her, Sharpay standing up on her chair – a trend that Taylor and Gabriella had seemingly started, as other people whom they didn't know had took to doing it as well.

Taylor was shaking hands with the superintendent when Gabriella's name was called. She stepped out of her row and walked up along the edge of the many rows of students. She beamed contagiously, her sadness completely gone, as she looked around at all the students. Sharpay was up and cheering for her, as was Troy – a sight which made her laugh. She passed Chad and Zeke, who were both seated at the end of their rows, and they hugged her.

Normally, Gabriella was nervous when she would stand in front of crowds – except when she was singing. But, taking her diploma, in its red velvet case, and switching her tassel to signify graduating, she didn't care that every single student, teacher, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparent, and cousin was watching her. She smiled toward the crowd of parents, where she knew her mother was waiting for a picture, before stepping down from the other side of the stage and walking back to her seat.

She hugged Taylor when she caught up with her, and the two opened their diplomas excitedly. "Look, it's our names!" breathed Taylor.

"We did it," said Gabriella, as though in a daze. "We graduated high school. We're done!"

* * *

As soon as the ceremony ended, Gabriella and Taylor, holding their diplomas close to their chests, pushed through the crowd and the sea of caps littering the ground from when the graduates had thrown them in the air. The two girls picked up two discarded ones and searched for a familiar face – well, one that they enjoyed seeing.

"Hey!"

Gabriella had barely turned around when she was swept up in a bone-crushing hug by her boyfriend. "We're done!"

Gabriella laughed. "Yeah, that's what I said." Troy let her down and pecked her on the mouth. She saw, over his shoulder, that Zeke was with him.

"I feel so happy right now," said Taylor. "But later... I'll probably get upset again."

"Don't think about it now," Ryan said from behind her, and she jumped. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Jason appeared at Ryan's elbow, grinning like a dork.

"Where's Sharpay?" Gabriella asked him.

Ryan rolled his eyes and pointed. Looking past a few people, the group could see Sharpay and Chad furiously kissing each other. Gabriella made a face. "They are the horniest people that go here."

"Or don't go here!" wailed Taylor. Ryan gave her a look, and she quieted.

"Hey!" Troy shouted to the couple, cupping his hand over his mouth to project his voice. "Come on, my mom made me swear on Gabriella's life that she would get a picture of all of us in our caps and gowns!"

Gabriella's mouth dropped. "You _what_!?"

Troy grinned sheepishly. "All the more reason for us to get the hell over there. Come on!" he shouted to Sharpay and Chad again and the group started to weave their way through the other students.

It took them approximately ten minutes to cross from the middle of the football field to the bleachers, as students kept stopping various members of the group to congratulate or hug them.

"I have accomplished everything I wanted to in high school," Sharpay announced during their journey. She threw a side-glare over at Chad and added, "Except have a boy serenade me and throw rocks at my window."

Chad looked disgusted. "I'm not doing that, Sharpay. Ever."

She pouted.

When they finally did manage to reach their parents, both Becca and Maria tearfully threw their arms around their respective children's neck, squeezing them tightly.

"My baby boy is a college-bound high school graduate!" sobbed Becca, seemingly trying to decapitate Troy. He gasped for breath and reached up to her arms.

"Mom --" he breathed hoarsely.

"Becca, let him go," said Jack gently, peeling his wife away from his son.

Lila, who was there with Morris, scoffed. "Rebecca, you are such a kvetch."

Gabriella, meanwhile, was facing a similar dilemma. Maria wept into her daughter's shoulder, and Gabriella stood limply, waiting for her mother to release her. Once Troy himself was free, he rescued his girlfriend from her own mother's stronghold.

Taylor, Jason, Chad, and Zeke were all hugging their parents nearby, while Sharpay and Ryan stood awkwardly in the middle.

Chad muttered to the blonde girl, "Where's your parents?"

She smiled sadly and shrugged. "I don't know."

Frowning, he grabbed her hand and led her over to his parents and older brother. "Mom, Dad, Mark," he began, "this is Sharpay."

Chad's mother smiled. "Hello, Sharpie."

"Shar_-pay_," Chad corrected.

"Oh," she said, flushing embarrassedly. "Sharpay. Sorry. It's so nice to meet you." She beamed. "You know, Chad has talked about you before, and I'm so glad to finally meet you. He spends so much time studying at the library that we never see him."

Sharpay turned slowly and smirked at her boyfriend. "Yeah, studying. He does too much of that."

Mark looked at her and whistled. "Damn, I remember you. You were the hottest freshman ever."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Ha-ha."

"How the hell did you two end up together?" asked Mark. "When I left for school last year, all I kept hearing out of you was how much of a bitch she was."

Chad scowled, and Sharpay glared at him. He cried back defensively, "Hey, you _were_ a bitch!"

She still looked slightly annoyed, but just shook her head. "Whatever."

Meanwhile, Taylor was introducing Ryan to her parents and three older sisters.

"Omigosh, Taylor, he's _cuuute_!" gushed Theresa.

"Adorable," agreed Tabitha.

Trisha smirked. "Do you have a brother?"

Ryan smiled tightly, side-glancing at Taylor, who was hiding her face in her hands. "Uh... no."

"I need my graduation picture," announced Becca stiffly, attracting the attention of the rest of the group and their respective families.

The eight friends stood in a line – from left to right: Zeke; Taylor; Ryan; Gabriella; Troy; Sharpay; Chad; and Jason – and put their arms around each other's waists and shoulders.

Every single mother of the group – six total – held up digital cameras. Troy looked over at Gabriella and grinned. "Still feeling upset?"

She gazed up at him. "Not right now. But, just to let you know, I will be at the party later."

Sharpay leaned across Troy and said, "I got a text from the party planner, and --"

Taylor bent forward and stared at Sharpay. "Did you really text during our graduation ceremony?"

Sharpay cocked an eyebrow. "Uhhh, yeah. So?"

The former shook her head in disbelief. "You're ridiculous."

"What?" Sharpay cried defensively.

"Look at the camera," Becca pleaded, but she was ignored.

Sharpay continued, "I did it while people I didn't like went up." She snorted. "Like I was gonna cheer for Martha. Did you hear her get the quietest one?"

"That's rude," chided Gabriella.

"Yeah, we're graduating," Taylor agreed. "Let's be a little nicer."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding? I will not be nicer to her. And, I swear, if she asks me to sign her yearbook, I will push her."

"Ooooh, and then pull her hair and rip her clothes?" asked Jason eagerly.

Everyone looked at him strangely. "Coming from the number one fan of girl fights," said Chad, "I can honestly say that that is something I _never_ wanna see."

"Besides, Martha would probably crush Sharpay by sitting on her," Troy observed.

Sharpay pinched Troy hard on his waist, where her arm was draped. "I could totally beat her up."

"It has nothing to do with how strong you are!" he exclaimed defensively, wincing at the bee sting-like pain that shot through his body. "It's the weight situation."

"He's calling you skinny," Gabriella added.

Sharpay nodded approvingly. "Well, that I can deal with. If I had to lose a fight, I'd rather it be with a five-hundred pound whale."

"Okay, do you want to see your pictures now?"

"Wait, you took them already?".

Becca glared at her son. "Yes, I did. And you guys just would not shut up! But I got a few good pictures, I guess." She frowned. "Sometimes it looks better when you're all just talking with each other. You tend to smile badly when forced."

* * *

As soon as Sharpay, Taylor, and Gabriella walked into the large ballroom inside Lava Springs, where the entire senior class had already gathered and were on the dance floor, they burst into tears. "This is our last high school party!" they wailed at the same time.

"Good," said Chad. "College parties are better anyway."

Sharpay hiccuped. "That's not the point, you dumbass." She disappeared through the crowd, while the other seven watched her.

"Where's she going?" Chad asked, standing on his toes to watch his girlfriend's progress.

Gabriella turned to Troy and frowned. "Did we really graduate today?"

"Yup."

"And am I really going to Stanford while you stay here?"

"Yup."

"What the hell is wrong with us?"

He shrugged. "No idea. But we'll make it work."

"We will." She nodded in agreement and hugged him around the middle, burying her head into his chest.

A server appeared, holding a tray of flutes. "Champagne?" he offered.

"Mmmm."

All seven of them took a glass and downed in. Once he was finished, Troy asked, "Don't you have any beers?"

The man pointed over to the bar, which was serving beers. Troy approached the bartender and ordered eight beers, passing them around and giving two to Chad for when Sharpay returned.

The blonde finally did return five minutes later, taking her drink from Chad. "Okay, I banned the DJ from playing that Vitamin C song."

"What song?" asked Chad.

"Graduation."

"Aww, but I love that song!" whined Gabriella.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "That song is played in every freakin' graduation scene ever shown on television. We are not a cheesy movie and that song will not be played at my graduation."

"You're no fun," pouted Gabriella, taking another swig of her beer.

The current fast, rap song ended, and a familiar tune floating out of the DJ's speakers.

"Oh, no," groaned Sharpay. "I forgot about this song!"

"What is it?" asked Ryan.

"Here's to the Night." Gabriella beamed. "I love this song, too!"

"_So denied, so I lied. Are you the now or never kind?_"

"Let's dance!" squealed Gabriella, and she led Troy onto the dance floor. Chad and Sharpay, and Ryan and Taylor followed suit.

Once on the dance floor, Gabriella put her hands behind Troy's head and pulled him down to her, whispering, "I'm the now or never kind, Troy."

He blinked. "... what?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't you listen to lyrics? It said, 'are you the now or never kind?' And I am."

Troy raised an eyebrow. "Uh, since when?"

"Since I graduated from high school." She smirked up at him. "Let's do it."

His eyes widened considerably. "Really? Where?"

"I don't know," she said giddily. "On the balcony?"

He grabbed her hand and practically dragged his giggling girlfriend outside.

"_Here's to the nights we felt alive. Here's to the tears you knew you cried._"

Sharpay, dancing with Chad, glared at him. "You made my life hell this year."

"Oh yeah?" he challenged. "How so?"

"Well, you wanted me so badly that you inconvenienced my life," she said matter-of-factly.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. You wanted me so much longer before I wanted you."

"Nuh-uh!" she protested. "Gabriella said she knew you liked me when I was dating Zeke. And I didn't like you until Christmas."

He flushed. "What?" he sputtered. "I – I did _not_ like you when you were with Zeke. That's – that's just --"

She smirked triumphantly. "I win." He scowled, and she stood up on her tiptoes to peck him on the mouth. "I think it's hot that you wanted me while I was with another guy." She grinned. "What if we hadn't broken up? Would you have fought for me?"

He glared, and she smiled playfully. "What the hell, Sharpay?"

She pouted. "Come on, Chad. Just tell me. Would you and Zeke have fought over me? Tell me the truuuuuuth."

"No." She barely had time to narrow her eyes angrily as he continued, "Because one punch would have gotten him away from you for good."

Sharpay beamed at him. "Awwww, Chad! You are such a romantic when you want to be." She smiled. "Tell me you love me."

"No."

"Tell me."

"No!"

"Then no sex."

"... fine. I love you."

She gasped. "A-ha! I trapped you, Chad Danforth. Do you only tell me you love for _sex_?"

"Well, when you're forcing me to, yes," he snapped.

Sharpay thought that over, and then smiled. "So the first time, you --"

"Shut up."

"_All my time is froze in motions, can't I stay an hour or two or more?_"

Taylor sighed, and Ryan looked annoyed. "Stop doing that."

"Ryan, I am depressed," she stated bluntly.

"Yes. I know. You have been. A lot," he said dryly.

"So why don't you be more sympathetic?" she accused.

"Because you're depressed for a dumb reason!" he exclaimed.

She paused, and then frowned. "I guess I am. But still! You're a bad boyfriend."

"No, I'm not. Hey, wanna go do it?"

Taylor glared. "No. I don't. And even if I did, I wouldn't do it here!"

Ryan laughed and pointed over her shoulder, and she looked over to see Troy and Gabriella walking inside, their clothes ruffled and their hair messy. "I can't believe they did it here!"

"I guess you're the prude of the group now, Taylor," Ryan said with faux-sadness. "Hey, I could fix that."

"I am _not_ doing it."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Ew! I'm not doing that either!"

Gabriella bounded up to them. "Taylor, look." She jerked her head toward Zeke and Jason, who were sitting at a table and drinking. "I feel bad for them. Would it be lame if all of us danced together in a circle?"

"Yes," said Taylor truthfully. "But we'll do it anyway."

The two girls skipped over to their lonesome friends and grabbed their hands. "Let's dance."

"Gabriella, you know I don't sway that way," said Zeke.

She ignored him, and the girls led the two guys over to the rest of the group. "Come on. We're graduating, so we can be cheesy," said Gabriella. She put her arms around Troy's and Zeke's waists and started swaying with them. "Come on!" she said again.

The others all put their arms around each other and formed a tight circle, moving slowly to the music. They ignored the glares and irritable looks from their classmates.

"Congratulations, class of '08," beamed Taylor.

"Wow. We're a 'class' now," said Troy.

"An alumni," added Chad.

"Almost college students," Gabriella said.

"Aw, we are just so grown up!" cried Sharpay.

"Yeah, but we still can't drink yet," Chad said. "What's the use of voting if we can't drink?"

"Maybe you can become a politician and change that law," said Gabriella.

"I'm not thinking about my future yet," he said.

"Well, you better," Gabriella told him. "Because our future is here."

"_Here's to good-bye, tomorrow's gonna come too soon._"

* * *

**AN:** HAHA sorry. So corny. I JUST CAN'T HELP IT.

Okay, so... I'm really proud of the way I wrote their graduation. This chapter took me, like, two weeks to write (if you remember all my AN's, you will recall me constantly complaining about this one). But I'd like to hear your thought as well.

One.More.Chapter.LEFT.

**UP NEXT:**

Zeke is the first to leave, and the group spend one last day together.


	40. We'll Meet Tomorrow

**AN:** So ends FY on the date exactly two months after it began.

The chapter title comes from the musical _Titanic_.

**Title: **_Forget Yesterday  
_**Rating:** _T  
_**Author: **_MadiWillow  
_**Summary: **_The kids at East High are all seniors now, and looking forward to spending every day as if it were their last together.  
_**Genre:** _Humor/Drama  
_**Chapter: **_We'll Meet Tomorrow_

It was the middle of June, and the eight recent high school graduates were sitting in Troy's den, as per usual. They were watching Family Guy, drinking beer, and eating chips and popcorn, also routines. But the mood was considerably different than it had been six months earlier.

"Zeke, what time do you leave tomorrow?" asked Taylor quietly.

"Around two. My flight's at four."

There was silence, as they continued to watch TV. A few minutes later, the show ended, and Troy turned the television off. He looked around. "So... what should we do now?"

Everyone shrugged.

"Should we... watch a movie?"

Shrug.

"TV?"

Shrug.

"Play pool?"

Shrug.

"Drink?"

Shrug.

Troy sighed. "Okay, I need a little help here."

"Yeah, guys," added Gabriella. "Zeke, what do you wanna do? It's your last day."

"I don't know."

Taylor frowned. "Well... I guess we can just sit here and do nothing, then... on our last day together."

They were all quiet for a while, sitting on various pieces of furniture and staring around at everyone.

Finally, Sharpay stood up with her hands on her hips. "Okay, that's it. Everyone up."

"Why?" asked Gabriella suspiciously.

Sharpay clapped her hands together. "Because we are not going to just sit around when Zeke is leaving for Michigan tomorrow. We are going to live up our last day."

"Does your plan include beer?" Chad asked. Sharpay nodded. "Okay, then I'm in."

"We are gonna go..." began Sharpay dramatically, "... camping!"

There was a short pause, and then everyone began to laugh. "Yeah, okay," said Gabriella sarcastically.

"No, really!" Sharpay persisted. "I have the perfect idea!"

"Yeah, but... camping?" inquired Taylor, unsure. "Are you sick or something? You're not dreaming, you know."

She rolled her eyes. "Duh. I know when I'm dreaming."

"How?" Taylor challenged.

"Because I live in New York and I'm rich and my penthouse is all pink with my initials everywhere – S.D."

Gabriella smirked. "S.D.? As in, Sharpay _Danforth_?"

Sharpay and Chad both blushed. "No!" she said quickly. "I said S.E.!"

"You so said S.D."

"D and E sound alike; you just heard wrong," Sharpay snapped. "Anyway. We're going camping and that's that."

"Where are we going camping?" Troy asked. "The lake? I think that's illegal."

"Well," she began, "it's also illegal for us to drink, isn't it?"

They all mumbled incoherently.

"And no, we're not going to the lake. You'll never guess where we're going."

"Can we try?"

She shrugged. "Go ahead."

"Um... your backyard?" tried Troy, and she shook her head.

"Nope."

"Troy's backyard?" Gabriella suggested.

"No."

"_Chad's_ backyard?" Taylor asked.

Sharpay scowled. "Why are you all convinced that we're camping in someone's backyard?"

"Well..." said Chad cautiously. "You're not exactly the camping type. We're thinking that you're taking us somewhere near a bathroom."

She opened her mouth indignantly, but then stopped. "Well... this place does have a bathroom nearby. But it's not a backyard."

"Are you taking us to an actual campground?" Zeke asked incredulously.

"Psh. No." Sharpay waved his comment away and then jumped up and down excitedly. "This is so cool, you guys don't know!"

"Can you tell us?" Ryan questioned.

Sharpay shook her head smugly. "Nope. You'll have to wait and see-eee," she sang. She waved her hands. "Now, shoo. Everyone has to get packing for the night. And we'll need a tent, sleeping bags, cooler with food and beer, and... whatever else you'd want to do while camping."

"Can we make Smores?" asked Jason eagerly.

"Sure."

"Score!" He pumped his first triumphantly in the air.

Gabriella and Taylor stood up. "So, Sharpay, are you going to help us pack, again?" asked Gabriella. "One last time?"

Sharpay shrugged. "Might as well. You could use a couple more tips." She turned back to the rest of the group and said, in a very business-like tone, "Okay. Someone needs to bring a tent that can fit all eight of us."

"My dad has one," volunteered Troy. "And we have coolers too."

"Perfect. Now, everyone, go home and pack stuff for the night," she ordered. "Bring sleeping bags, pillows, whatever."

"I'll get the beer," Chad volunteered, standing up and walking over to the bar.

"Don't let my dad catch you," Troy warned. "That would really suck if, the day before Zeke left, he killed us all."

* * *

After the three girls had visited Sharpay's house and then Taylor's, they ventured to Gabriella's to finish their packing for the night. 

"Can you please tell us where we're going?" asked Gabriella for the millionth time as she shoved a pair of sweats and one of Troy's old T-shirts into a sports duffel bag.

Sharpay shook her head defiantly. "Nope!"

"Why not?" whined Taylor, her own overnight bag at her feet.

"Because then it wouldn't be a _surprise_!" droned Sharpay in an obvious tone. "Come on, Taylor. We're high school graduates. Be smart."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Whoops," she said sarcastically. "Guess I forgot."

Gabriella stuffed a couple other articles of clothing into the bag before hauling it over her shoulder. "Is that it?"

"You need a sleeping bag and a pillow," Sharpay reminded her.

"Oh." Gabriella placed her bag back down and entered her closet, reaching up to the top shelf to grab a sleeping bag. "You don't have one," she pointed out.

Sharpay smirked. "Chad has a twin size."

Taylor looked disgusted. "Um. _Over share_!"

Gabriella finally managed to retrieve her sleeping bag and tucked it under her arm, looking thoughtful. "You know, that's a good idea. I wonder if Troy has one..."

Sharpay looked at Taylor haughtily. "Prude."

"Remember when _I_ was the prude?" Gabriella sighed, reminiscing. "Taylor, you and I have switched roles."

"I am not a prude!"

"That's what I said," Gabriella reminded her. "But it was still true."

Taylor scowled. "Whatever."

* * *

The five boys were in Troy's room, while Troy packed. Jason and Zeke were sitting on opposite sides of the room, tossing a nerf ball back and forth between them. Ryan was lounging on Troy's bed, reading an issue of Sports Illustrated as the nerf ball sailed over his head. Chad sat on the ground, drinking from a beer can. There were four overnight bags in the corner of Troy's room. 

"Chad, did Sharpay tell you where we're going?" Zeke asked, throwing the ball back to Jason.

Chad shook his head. "You were there. I know as much as you do."

"Well, I thought maybe you bribed her with sex or something to get her to tell you." He shrugged.

Smirking, Chad said, "Sharpay would slit my throat if I abstained from sex. I don't think either of us could ever hold out on each other."

"You know, if I had known how horny Sharpay was, I would've hooked up with her last summer when I had the chance," mused Troy.

Chad glared at him. "What?" he said menacingly.

Troy laughed. "Trust me, I'm kidding. I'd rather base the 60-Year-Old Virgin on myself than ever do it with Sharpay."

"That's better." Chad nodded. "But, just so you know," he added, "Sharpay is amazing."

"How would you know?" smirked Jason. "Haven't you only done it with one other girl, when you were drunk?"

Chad smiled back. "Two more than you."

Jason's face fell. "I can't believe I graduated high school without losing my virginity." He narrowed his eyes at Zeke. "You had enough sex for the both of us, _and_ you turned out gay. Unfair!"

"Don't worry, Jase," said Chad with a faux-soothing voice. "I'm sure you'll be able to find some white-trash beach whore in San Diego to give you pity sex."

Jason looked up hopefully. "You really think so?"

Ryan looked at him disgustedly. "You're pathetic, man."

"Hey, have you nailed Taylor yet?" Chad asked him.

"I refuse to talk about my sex life with you," Ryan said stubbornly.

"That means no," Troy piped up.

Ryan scowled. "It does not. It means --"

"Taylor's still holding out on you, huh?"

"How do you know she's holding out on me?" Ryan retorted.

Chad looked at him condescendingly. "Because why would a guy hold out on sex? It's always the girls. You never see a movie or a TV show where the girl wants to have sex but the guy 'isn't ready,'" Chad explained, with the use of air-quotes.

"Look," began Ryan, "Taylor and my relationship is deep. It reaches far deeper than sex, which is why we don't need it to be happy with each other."

"I bet Ryan wishes he could go 'deep,'" Zeke muttered loudly to Troy, who snorted.

Ryan glared and picked up Troy's basketball pillow, throwing it at his head. Troy held up his hands and caught it, bringing the pillow up to his cheek. "Gabriella came on this pillow once," he said dreamily. Ryan scrunched up his face in disgust.

"Come on, Ryan, be a big boy," snickered Chad. "You've done it before. Don't be so grossed out."

Ryan shook his head and hopped off the bed. "I don't want to be anywhere near where you or Gabriella have orgasmed."

"Oh..." Troy bit his lip. "Then you should probably leave this house. And go to the next block."

* * *

The group of eight reconvened in Troy's living room about an hour later, all of them carrying an overnight bag, a sleeping bag, a pillow, and, in Troy's case, a tent. 

"Ready to tell us where we're going?" asked Jason, slightly irritated due to his impatience.

Sharpay shook her head, grinning. "Nope." She led the way out the front door and to her car. "Come on, let's go."

The eight friends loaded all of their belongings into the trunk of Sharpay's pink convertible. Then they clambered into the car; Sharpay, Chad, and Zeke squished into the front seat, and Troy, Gabriella, Ryan, Taylor, and Jason in the back. Gabriella and Taylor were perched on their respective boyfriends laps. "How far is it that we're going?" asked Gabriella. "Because if it's a long drive, I think we might get pulled over for, you know, not driving safely."

"Oh, Gabriella," scoffed Sharpay, pulling away from the curb. "Taylor may have taken the prude title, but you will always be a little prude-nerdy on the inside."

"Excuse me for not wanting to die in a fiery car crash," she said loudly over the roar of the wind.

"Don't worry, the place isn't far," Sharpay assured her. "Besides, the police in Albuquerque totally don't even care."

Only a couple minutes later, Sharpay pulled into the parking lot at East High, which was completely empty, and parked her car near the football field. As she turned off the engine, everyone slowly rotated their heads to stare and blink at her. For a few seconds, she was unaware of their gazes, until she glanced up and saw fourteen pairs of eyes on her. "What?" she asked obliviously.

"Why are we here?" asked Chad slowly.

"Duh! We're camping out on the football field!" Sharpay opened the driver's side door and stepped out. She looked around at everyone like they were crazy. "You haven't figured it out yet?"

"But... why?" was all Gabriella managed to get out.

"Why not?" Sharpay asked. "Think about it. Even though school sucked, we had some great times here."

"Yeah, like the school musical," said Chad sarcastically. "That was fun."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "And our senior prank. And Homecoming. And Zeke and I did it, like, a hundred times here." Chad narrowed his eyes, and she quickly added, "But it was so much better when you and I did it here." She smiled sweetly. "And then we had that talent show and the picnic where we drank so much Vodka that we were all drunk out of our minds and everyone else couldn't figure out how we got wasted on water."

Chad laughed. "Oh, that was fun."

"So, come on, it'll be fun. Besides, I think it's illegal. Plus, we have beer, which is also illegal to not only drink, but to have on school property."

Troy nodded. "Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I like it."

"Oh, Troy," said Gabriella suddenly, and she smirked seductively at him. "I stole my mom's twin sleeping bag."

Troy's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" he said suggestively.

"Wait, why does your mom have a twin sleeping bag?" Zeke asked.

Gabriella frowned. "Oh, God..."

Troy put his arms around Gabriella's waist. "Hey, it's okay. We can just do it in my sleeping bag. We don't need a twin."

Gabriella giggled. "Okay."

"You guys can do it in such a small space?" asked Ryan skeptically.

"Please." Troy brushed the comment off with a wave of his hand. "I could do it _anywhere_."

"Come on, everybody out!" ordered Sharpay. "You think I'm gonna carry all your shit to the field?"

Everyone obediently got out of the car and Chad opened the trunk. They all grabbed their own belongings and approached the fence that served as an entrance to the school's football stadium, but froze when they saw it was locked.

"Oh, great," said Gabriella sarcastically. "Fantastic. Now what?"

"We hop the fence!" said Sharpay. She tossed her bag over the fence and then proceeded to climb the chain-link fence with ease. Once at the top, she threw her legs over to the other side and jumped down.

Chad, Jason, and Zeke followed suit. Gabriella glared at Sharpay through the fence. "Couldn't you have told me that we would be hopping fences? I'm wearing a _dress_."

"Yesss!" hissed Jason.

Gabriella clenched her jaw.

"Well, are you wearing a thong, like a slut?" sneered Sharpay.

Biting her lip, Gabriella responded, "Well..."

"YES!" cried Jason again.

"Shut up," Troy shot at him.

Jason smirked. "I'm not scared of you, Troy. Good luck reaching me through the fence!" he taunted.

Gabriella kicked off her flats and tossed them over the fence before beginning to climb. "Everyone, look away!" Troy demanded. Ryan obeyed him, but Zeke, Jason, and Chad did not. "What the hell, Zeke, you're _gay_!" exclaimed Troy.

Zeke grinned and shrugged sheepishly. "Then, what are you worried about?"

Troy glared viciously at them all. "You guys suck."

Gabriella did the best she could to keep the boys from seeing up her dress as she climbed up the fence. At the top, she smoothed it down and held it in place as she jumped to the other side.

Troy hopped the fence after her, and immediately punched Jason in the arm.

"OW!" yelped Jason, rubbing his arm furiously. "What the hell was that for!?"

Smirking, Troy said, "For thinking you could look up my girlfriend's dress and get away with it."

Ryan helped Taylor climb the fence, and then jumped over himself last.

"See? Was that so hard?" said Sharpay as they all gathered their stuff up again.

"Yes," said Gabriella truthfully. "Everyone saw my ass."

"And a little more," added Jason, only to get another fist connect with his arm. "WHAT THE HELL, TROY!?"

Troy rolled his eyes. "You'd think he'd get it by now," he commented to the others.

"Well, now we've seen Gabriella completely naked," Chad said. "First we saw her topless, and now her ass. Just put them all together, and --"

"Don't finish that sentence," Sharpay warned him.

They stopped walking in the middle of the football field and dumped all their stuff on the ground. The six o' clock sun was beating down on them. Sharpay plopped down on the turf and fanned herself. "Boys, set up the tent," she said lazily.

"Why us?" whined Chad.

"Uh, because your the guys?" Sharpay reminded him condescendingly. "Besides, if you take your shirt off and get all hot and sweaty setting it up, we'll reward you with beer and sex."

"You're holding out on sex?" Chad said incredulously.

Ryan grinned teasingly. "I thought you said she'd never do that."

"And beer," Sharpay added, not hearing Ryan's comment. "So, you guys better get to it."

"Well... okay..." Chad took off his shirt and pretended to stretch, when in actuality, he was flexing his muscles. Sharpay licked her lips.

Chad bent over the various parts of the tent, while Troy got to work. "So... how do you do this..." He picked up one of the poles and said, "Wow, this is really long and hard." He held up part of the tent and said, "Do I just stick it in anywhere?"

Sharpay gasped and sat up a little straighter. Gabriella and Taylor watched, amused.

"I guess I should just... shove it in, fast," he said thoughtfully.

Breathing in deeply, Sharpay swallowed. Gabriella snickered.

Chad demonstrated sticking the pole through one of the tent loops, and said, "Hm... maybe if I move it around a little bit..." He began to move the pole in and out.

Suddenly, Sharpay jumped up and grabbed Chad's hand. "Let's go."

He smirked triumphantly. "Where?"

"_Anywhere_," she growled, and the two took off toward the bleachers.

"Oh, my God, they're like rabbits," giggled Gabriella.

"Sharpay never was that horny when we were dating," said Zeke.

"Well, you were gay," Jason reminded him.

"Still. She didn't know that."

"Did you have sex like a gay guy?"

Zeke blinked. "Uh..."

"Well, thanks to all of your help," began Troy sarcastically, "Ryan and I got the tent up."

"Oh, yay," said Gabriella. "That was fast."

"I used to go camping a lot."

Taylor stepped forward and smiled at Ryan, slipping her hand into the waistband of his shorts. He stared at her blankly. "Um... what --"

She smiled shyly. "I wanna... do it with you."

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

He looked at her for a moment. "Did Chad's little display get you all hot?"

Shaking her head, Taylor responded, "No. Watching you put up that tent did."

He looked around wildly. "Where --"

"Tent," she said shortly, dragging him inside.

"Hey, what're you --" began Jason, seeing the two nearly dive into the tent.

"Don't come in," Ryan advised, zipping up the entrance to the tent.

"Oh, my gosh, where's Sharpay when you need her?" said Gabriella aloud.

"Sharpay?" asked Jason, puzzled. "I don't think Ryan would have a three-some with his own sister. You, on the other hand --"

Gabriella shoved him roughly. "No. I mean, Sharpay's always on Taylor's case about doing it, and now she is!"

Troy reached down and patted Gabriella's butt. "Hey. All this sex talk --"

She pouted. "Troy. There's no where to do it. They took the tent, and --"

"There's still the car," he grinned.

She beamed. "Okay. Let's go!" As they trotted off, she asked, "Can you put the top up?"

"If I can't, do you care?"

"... nope."

Zeke glared at them. "FINE!" he shouted after them. "I'll just spend my last day listening to all my friends having sex!"

Jason frowned sadly. "I won't be having sex."

* * *

About an hour later, Zeke and Jason were playing Go Fish in the middle of the football field, a good distance away from the tent, when Chad and Sharpay approached them. Sharpay's shirt was on backwards and they both had messy hair. "Where's everyone else?" asked Sharpay. 

Jason glared. "You guys are so rude."

"Why?" asked Chad.

"It's Zeke's last day, and everyone is doing it."

Sharpay gasped loudly. "TAYLOR'S doing it!?"

Zeke narrowed his eyes. "Woo-hoo for her."

Sharpay frowned. "Awww. We're sorry, Zeke. We're just really horny."

He shrugged. "Fine. Whatever. It's just, this is our last day together."

"I know," said Sharpay, genuinely apologetic. "Want me to go break up the other couples?" She seemed excited at the prospect.

"Well, if they're anything like us, they won't stop no matter who walks in," Chad said, a cocky grin on his face.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Please. Of course they're not like us. We're amazing and I can't see Gabriella being that wild."

Zeke laughed. "Well, she _is_ doing it in your car with the top down."

Narrowing her eyes, she growled, "She's WHAT!?"

As if summoned, Troy and Gabriella appeared behind them. Their clothes and hair, like Sharpay's and Chad's, were ruffled. "What's going on?" slurred Gabriella, as if on a high.

Sharpay glared. "I can't believe you did it in my car!"

Gabriella beamed. "Yeah. It was so cool! And I think people saw us, too, as they drove by, 'cause some of them honked." She bounced on the balls of her feet. "It was exhilarating."

"Are Taylor and Ryan still going at it?" Troy asked.

Jason nodded. "But we haven't heard much... I'm starting to think they're faking."

"Only one way to find out," said Sharpay smugly. She marched up to the tent and unzipped part of it slowly, peeking in. She screamed at what she saw and quickly sprinted away. "Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God, EW! I just saw MY BROTHER having sex!"

Gabriella burst out laughing. "What's _wrong_ with you? You knew they were doing it in there!"

"Well, I thought they were faking, too," retorted Sharpay. "No one is that quiet. I'm not even that quiet if I try."

"It's true," supplied Chad.

"Yeah, Gabriella's pretty loud, too," Troy bragged.

"Okay, okay," Gabriella cut in. "It's our last day together, and I don't think we should spend it having sex."

"You're one to talk!"

"So are you!"

Sharpay paused. "Fine." She added quickly, "Besides, Chad and I are going to school together, so we'll be able to have as much sex as we want for the next four years."

The entrance to the tent unzipped and Taylor stuck her head out. "Sharpay, why the hell did you look in?" She and Ryan emerged, also dressed haphazardly.

"To make sure you were actually doing it." She sat herself down and motioned for everyone else to do the same. "Now, sit. Zeke is leaving, and we have to hang out as a group."

"Taylor... how was it?" murmured Gabriella.

"Amazing," sighed Taylor as she sat down.

* * *

A couple hours later, darkness had fallen, and the group of eight was sitting in a circle. They had changed into sweats and T-shirts to sleep in, and the three girls were wearing their respective boyfriends' jackets around their shoulders. All of them were clutching beer cans. There was a small, battery powered lamp in the middle of the circle, dimly illuminating their faces. 

"Well, we've just gambled all our money away in poker," said Ryan, tossing away the deck of cards as Chad pocketed a wad of cash, looking quite proud of himself. "Now what should we do?"

There was a short silence.

"I'm gonna miss this place," said Gabriella suddenly. She was snuggled up to Troy with her head on his shoulder.

"What place?" asked Sharpay. "East High, or Albuquerque?"

"Both," she sighed. "Albuquerque is more my home than any other place I've ever lived. And I've never felt more comfortable in a school than East High."

"Oh, Gabriella..." said Taylor, pretending to be emotional. "That's so beautiful."

She smiled. "Ha, ha. But it's true."

"Yeah. This past year has been fun," Sharpay said. "I mean, after I got over Troy."

Chad rolled his eyes. "_That_ only took half a year."

"Shut up."

"You know what I'm gonna miss?" spoke up Jason, and everyone turned to him. "The bond that we have. Like, I know we make fun of each other and stuff, but we all know each other so well. I don't think I'll ever find friends like that again. Not that I really want to."

Everyone stared at him. "Wow," said Taylor finally.

Sharpay looked slightly suspicious. "Who knew you could be so insightful?"

"Uh... thanks," said Jason doubtfully.

"I'm gonna miss that, too," agreed Taylor. "I've always had girl friends, but never guy friends before. Even though a lot of times you guys were, like, really gross... I liked it."

"Aw, thanks Taylor," said Chad, pretending to be touched. "I enjoyed grossing you out."

Jason guffawed. "Yeah. The _pleasure_ was ours. Get it, guys?" He looked around excitedly. "Get it?"

Gabriella smiled. "Some things will never change."

Troy nodded. "Yeah. In five years, Chad and Sharpay will still be the horny couple, probably with ten kids, Ryan and Taylor will be the innocent ones, Jason will be the sad virgin, Zeke the flamboyant gay guy --"

"I'm _not_ flamboyant."

"-- and we'll be the perfect ones."

Gabriella beamed up at Troy. "Yes, we are the perfect couple."

"Um, excuse me?" Sharpay cut in. "You're so not the perfect couple. Whenever you fight, you break-up. How many times have Chad and I broken up? And Ryan and Taylor? You guys have broken up twice – once for, like, five months."

"Because of you, for one of them," Gabriella retorted.

"WILL YOU GET OVER THAT ALREADY?"

"I agree," Jason interrupted. "Ryan and Taylor should be the perfect couple."

Sharpay gasped, offended. "What about _us_?"

"Well, it took you guys, like, nine months to get together, and even then, you guys are always fighting," Zeke reminded her.

She scowled. "Ugh."

"Well," began Chad, his arm around Sharpay's waist, "fighting leads to angry make-up sex." She rolled her eyes at his immaturity.

There was a bit of pause. "I'm nervous to leave," Zeke admitted, and everyone turned to him. "I've never lived anywhere except here."

Gabriella frowned. "I thought about that. I'm gonna be living on my own, two whole states away..."

"I'll be all the way up north," said Zeke. "It's gonna be kinda... scary."

Chad let out a bark of laughter. "Wuss."

Zeke glared. "Well, you're staying here. I think you're the wuss."

"I know what you mean," Taylor said to Zeke. "I'll be down in California for the first time. And Ryan'll be in New York."

They were all silent for a few moments; the only sounds heard was the occasional spark from the lamp, or the motion of one of them taking a sip from their beer cans. A grasshopper was nearby, loudly eliciting crickets from its position somewhere in the distance.

Sharpay suddenly clapped her hands together, although it sounded louder because she was holding a near-empty beer can. Everyone jumped at the noise and looked at her.

"Remember that pool party we had at Lava Springs?"

"You mean the staff party that you and Ryan attended anyway?" Chad reminded her.

She ignored him, smiling. "That was fun. And then the party in the gym after you guys won the basketball game."

"And you lost out in the school musical."

Sharpay turned and scowled at her boyfriend. "Are you _trying_ to bring me down?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Then shut up!"

Gabriella pulled her hair away from her neck and flipped it so that it splayed across her back. "We had a lot of fun times in the past year."

Ryan nodded, a slight grin on his face as he glanced at Taylor. "Yeah."

"And some horrible times," added Sharpay, glaring at Zeke.

"But," Gabriella cut in quickly, "it all worked out in the end. Look at us now. Even though we fought --" She and Taylor exchanged quick glances, "-- and hurt each other sometimes, we still pulled through and now we're closer than ever."

Chad rolled his eyes. "We are so corny."

"Well, look," snapped Gabriella suddenly. "That's just how it goes. You graduate, your friends move away, all across the country, you get corny, okay? Deal with it, Chad."

Sharpay turned and stuck her tongue out at him. "Ha."

"Anyway," Gabriella began again, slightly winded. Troy looked down at her, amused, and tightened his grip around her waist. "All I'm saying is, we've been through a lot together, and we'll be fine. Even though we're leaving, we'll be fine."

"Yeah, we'll see each other on Thanksgiving," Taylor added.

Gabriella nodded. "And I'll try and come down here to visit on weekends."

"And we can visit, too," Jason put in, nodding at Gabriella and Taylor.

"Yeah," said Zeke. "We're growing up, but that doesn't mean we're growing apart."

"Beautiful," Troy said softly in a mocking tone, placing the hand clutching his beer can over his heart.

"We'll always be friends," affirmed Gabriella with finality. "We'll be a hundred years old and still drinking beer at Troy's house."

"At least we'll be legal by then," chirped Troy.

"Yeah, that'll probably be the only good thing about being a hundred," said Chad truthfully.

"Awww, and we'll all have kids and grandkids!" cooed Taylor. "There'll be a hundred mini-us's around."

"Can we handle little Sharpay's?" Jason asked worriedly. "I mean, one is bad enough..."

Sharpay smiled slightly. She glanced around at the group and nodded, repeating Gabriella's earlier words by saying, "Some things never will change."

And as the group went to bed that night, woke up to the sound of a track race at seven the next morning, got chased out of the stadium by an angry coach, took Zeke to the airport and said a tearful good-bye, followed by Ryan a few weeks later, and Gabriella, Taylor, and Jason a few weeks later still, and kept in touch constantly through e-mails and text message whilst meeting new people at their various new locations, they always carried the thought fresh in their minds that the bond shared between the eight of them could never be broken; tampered with, perhaps, or bent slightly, but never destroyed. Even as they made new friends and built new friendships and memories, they always thought of each other and the experiences that took place in their senior year. They knew that they were each other's best friends and always would be, and that no one else they met could ever change that.

* * *

**AN:** IT'S OVER. -CRYING- 

Wow. It's finally done. I'm very, very happy. And even though there's a follow-up on its way, I'm still feeling all emotional that this is over.

I've had a couple questions on the subject of Jason losing his virginity before the end of the story – sorry, but no. I honestly don't see Jason as mature enough for sex yet. But also, I wanted at least one of them to remain a virgin at the end of the story, because not EVERYONE has sex in high school. Sure, Jason wanted to have sex, but I think if he were put in the position where he could have sex, he would be too nervous. And Taylor and Ryan do have one of the strongest relationships, I feel (even though it may not be shown so much), so, hence, I chose Taylor to lose her virginity in this chapter.

Well, thank you to everyone who read, big thank you if you reviewed, huge thank you to those who have stuck with it since chapter one, and the biggest thank you to Caity and Angelina (Promise.Me.Forever and JolieMarie, respectively). I know I thanked you near the beginning, but it must be said again. Seriously, I cannot stress how your support and input has helped me. Especially Caity (Angelina, you are just NOT ONLINE ENOUGH), who knew all the details of this story and helped me out a lot. I talked to her about this story CONSTANTLY and I could almost hear her, three thousand miles away, going, "Okay, enough." haha. But really, your guys' suggestions and help is much appreciated. You deserve some sort of patience award, at the very least. THANK YOU MUCHLY.

Hm... what else, what else... have I already thanked you all immensely?

Okay, well, now, onto this chapter. What'd you think of the ending? It took me weeks to get right. That's why it might seem like their conversation at the end went on so long... I was hoping that if I just kept writing, the ending would write itself. Yeah, that didn't happen. But I finally wrote an ending I was happy with. Your thoughts?

As for the follow-up (Jesus, this AN is like a page long), I don't know when it'll be up. Certainly not for a couple weeks. I'm on page 2 of part 2 out of 3, and I'm still not one hundred percent sure of how exactly it's going to end. I don't wanna wait too long, for fear that people will lost interest after a while. But I also don't wanna not wait long enough. It's all very strategic. Add me to author alert's so you don't miss is!

THANKS FOR READING! (seriously, 750 reviews? That's more than I ever could've DREAMED)


End file.
